A Letterkenny salon owner says that she and her staff are terrified for their clients as e-scooter users and cyclists whizz past their door daily.
Catriona O’Donnell, of Catriona’s hair salon on Lower Main Street, says she has seen too many accidents and near-misses on the path outside her business.
She is pleading with cyclists and scooter users to use the road instead and to always wear a helmet and high-visibility clothing.
Catriona’s worst fears were realised last summer when a customer was struck by a youth on a mountain bike and had to be taken to hospital.
The woman was leaving the salon and due to attend a relative’s funeral in the UK when she was injured. She suffered a bang to her head and broken fingers, which prevented her from travelling.
The accident also left the woman unable to work for months.
“This lady is traumatised by what has happened,” Catriona told Donegal Daily.
“When the bikes and scooters come flying past the door, you don’t stand a chance.”
Catriona said she and her staff are “on eggshells” every time a person leaves the salon.
“You are so aware of people going out the door now,” she said. “We either walk them to the door and look out with them, or you are calling out to them to be careful.”
Catriona says she feels the regulations are not being policed.
“People say it’s going to take a bad accident for it to stop but we have had that already,” she said.
“If there was a presence of guards on the paths for a week, or even a day, they would see what’s happening.”
Catriona has taken to social media to try and raise awareness of the issue at her Letterkenny business.
The issue of e-scooters in Letterkenny has become a “nightmare” situation, says Mayor Ciaran Brogan.
Cllr Brogan’s comments were made yesterday as he called for a workshop on traffic calming measures throughout Letterkenny, including the multiple calls for ramps.
Cllr Brogan said that the Garda Traffic Corps should be involved in the workshop which would also look at the issue of e-scooters and safety at pressure points in the town.
Cllr Donal ‘Mandy’ Kelly added that e-scooters have become a huge problem in Letterkenny. “
You see it first hand when walking through the town, you could be wiped out very fast,” said Cllr Kelly.
Since May 2024, e-scooters are banned from use on footpaths or pedestrianised zones and are not allowed to carry other passengers or goods. They can only be used on only on roads, cycle lanes and bus lanes. Children under the age of 16 are also prohibited from using e-scooters. Those who break the rules of the road or use an e-scooter dangerously face being fined.
E-scooter nightmare in Letterkenny leaves businesses in fear was last modified: September 10th, 2025 by Rachel McLaughlin