The growing prevalence of e-scooters being used on footpaths in towns across Co Clare is a major concern and must spark greater enforcement of the law.
That’s according to Aontú’s Clare Representative and Chair of the Safer Clare Campaign, June Dillon who says she, together with other safety advocates in the county are increasingly concerned about the rise of e-scooters on footpaths saying they “are an absolute hazard to pedestrians who are really nervous of them, fearing they will come to harm”.
She says: “This is becoming a real problem, and the law is being flouted with abandon. Scooters are not permitted for use on public footpaths or in areas designated for pedestrians, and it is illegal to supply them to anyone under the age of 16. Recent legislation has granted the Gardai new powers to seize e-scooters and take action against those operating them in inappropriate places.”
“Yet I see people using them on footpaths virtually every day when I’m in Ennis or Kilrush. There is often more than one scooter in the convoy. People are whizzing about at considerable speed which is very very dangerous.”
“It’s terrifying for elderly people, and those who have any infirmity or disability. To be honest I’ve seen manys’ the close shave with them. Just recently
I was driving along side a footpath on the edge of town, when a young person on an e-scooter dismounted against the oncoming traffic with no warning, wearing black, with the glare of winter sun behind him. He was difficult to see. I was shocked and really concerned that someone would hit him, through no fault of the driver. It is so incredibly inconsiderate to use these vehicles on footpaths.
Not only are those doing so a danger to other people, they are a danger to themselves as more often than not they are not wearing protective clothing or high visibility vests and if they hit a bump in the road they will come off the vehicle and do themselves an injury.
Footpaths and pedestrian pathways are for pedestrians not for speeding e-scooters. There has to be stricter enforcement of the law and the issue was highlighted by Gardai over Christmas who promised to clamp down on the situation. It is frightening to hear doctors report that the use of e-scooters is the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries in children.
“The safety of our communities must come first . While the strengthening of regulations around e-scooters is crucial, the enforcement of those regulations needs the back up of improved pay and conditions for the recruitment and retention of our frontline Gardai.”