Driver only had the bike for one day
18:38, 23 Feb 2026Updated 18:52, 23 Feb 2026
The E-moped can sell for €1k or more – and reaches speeds of 75km/h(Image: AGS Cork)
The dangers of recklessly driven E-bikes and E-scooters have been the subject of growing outcry in recent weeks – and now Gardaà in Cork city have seized another one after stopping a rider with no licence, insurance or protective gear.
A Garda on high-visibility patrol in Cork city stopped the throttle-powered E-moped after spotting a driver – with a pillion passenger – without any protective equipment. This is itself against the rules – but the officer quickly uncovered a litany of other offences, with the driver also lacking registration, tax, insurance and a driving licence.
Gardaà explained that the rider was only in possession of the Himoto E-bike – which retails for upwards of €1,000 and can reach speeds of 75km/h – for a single day before being pulled over.
A Garda spokesperson said: “This isn’t a simple E-Moped, but a Special One that requires certain legal parameters: To be registered, Taxed, Insured, Driving Licence and protective equipment. The driver had none of these. The vehicle was seized and the driver’s next destination is the courtroom.”
There have been calls for a strong crackdown on dangerous E-bikes and scramblers across Ireland – including here in Cork – especially since the tragic death of Dublin teen Grace Lynch near her home in Finglas last month.
That loss has thrown the wider issue of motorbikes being driven dangerously into the public spotlight. CorkBeo reported earlier this year on the seizure of 19 scrambler bikes in the city in 2025, with one northside-based TD saying this was only a small dent in the numbers of bikes being stolen and driven dangerously in our communities. There are also growing concerns about so-called E-scramblers – powerful electric bikes that are as big and as fast as petrol driven motorbikes.
Last week, a group of reckless scrambler riders videoed themselves and popped wheelies in near-peak traffic on Cork’s busiest road. The video was recorded along the South Ring near the Vernon Mount Bridge, where the speed limit is 100km/h, and shows the bikes keeping pace with traffic while the riders wear little to no protective gear.
Earlier this month, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien confirmed that the Government is working on new regulations to implement a total ban on scrambler use in public places and to strengthen An Garda SÃochána’s existing enforcement powers.
The proposal aims to close gaps in the legislation where scrambler use may previously have been legal outside appropriate off-road settings, and to enhance seizure powers to reduce the number of seized vehicles that end up back on the roads. The Government aims to bring the new proposals to Cabinet in the coming weeks.
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