Assignment on The Challenges for E-Scooters in Dublin (Ireland)

Introduction of the Challenges for E-Scooters in Dublin (Ireland)

               There have been so many inventions with the essence of technology, which are playing their parts in the daily life of people all around the world. Few inventions got more famous and common, and few of them could not get the attention, what it deserved. E-scooter is one of those inventions, which has not been able to become so common in different societies all around the world. Many people may not have seen or may not have known about an E-scooter. It is quite interesting to know that the history of electric scooters goes back to 1895 as the first patent was filed for an electrically powered transportation device. So, its evolution continued with the passage of time, and modern E-scooter is the latest product for people to use. The 1st commercial electric scooter was developed in 1996. The design and features of E-scooters has been evolving with the help of latest technology, which also helped so many other industries to evolve (Zoom, 2018).

               In this particular paper, the discussion of E-Scooter will be made with regard to the challenges faced by E-Scooters in Dublin, Ireland. It is easy to think that if something is environment-friendly, and cheaper for people to use, then it should be used everywhere without any particular restrictions or laws. But the fact of the matter is that E-Scooters are not allowed legally on the road in Ireland. The Transport Ministry of Ireland has given an official statement, where they said that personal powered transport items such as hoverboards, E-Scooters, and segways are not allowed in public places and roads, and a user can only use them in their private property (Finn, 2019). The relevant law mentioned by the Transport Ministry states that “Under section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1961, eScooters and similar vehicles are defined as mechanically propelled vehicles. As such, before they can be used on public roads/in public places they must be covered by insurance, have motor tax and the driver appropriately licensed to operate them” This statement very much clears the situation that E-Scooter companies and users are facing great challenges to make it a common product used by masses because such strict legal aspects can always be a difficult thing to manage. It is critical to look at these challenges in detail by analyzing different relevant aspects so that it can be assessed what is the future of E-Scooters in Ireland (BreakingNews.ie, 2019)

Detailed Discussion of the Challenges for E-Scooters in Dublin (Ireland)

               It is a fact that a technological product such as E-Scooter may be liked by users, and they may look to use it in public places, but it is always important to consider the legal aspects because no one would want to get in trouble. In Ireland, the Department of Transport has clearly stated that there is no grey area for legal perspectives when it comes to using electric-powered devices on public roads and places. A statement was made by Moyagh Murdock, the chief executive of Road Safety Authority, and he said that it is vital for people to understand that electric scooters should not be taken as toys; rather they can be a problem for safety on the roads. It has been observed that the use of these E-Scooters is not only a practical problem, but it can come up with so many legal issues as well. It was said that wheel size, as well as the design of E-Scooters, is not suitable for Irish roads, and many changes would be needed to accommodate these E-Scooters on the roads. The dangerous part has been highlighted by the Transport Department that people have been reported to die while using these E-Scooters, which is such a major safety concern for all the stakeholders (Kelly, 2019)

               It is vital to understand that excessive traffic on the roads is making big cities congested and pollution is another issue to deal with. In this situation, alternative transportation solutions can be viable to deal with the issues and come up with more convenient, environment-friendly and cheaper options. The good thing about E-Scooters is that it can be considered one of such options that are not only easy to manage, but it is also good for the environment and traffic. There are so many famous E-Scooter companies such as Ojo, Lime, and Bird has expanded their business all over the world. It has been observed that E-Scooters have got good more popularity in the United States than any other country in the world. It has been seen that the popularity of E-Scooters is more than the popularity of bike-sharing programs in the United States. It means that things have been going well for E-Scooters business in other parts of the world, but in the UK, it has been an issue of debate, especially in Ireland. It is happening because safety concerns are associated with E-Scooter usage on public roads. According to data, it was revealed that some sort of injuries has been observed with users of E-Scooter. Some of the patients have been reported with minor fractures, and others are identified with some kind of head injuries, which is an indication that why E-Scooters have not been able to become a mass product (Appolonia, 2019)

               The safety and other relevant concerns made by authorities in Ireland are valid in so many ways. But still, E-Scooters cannot be ignored like this by the government in Ireland. That’s why; a debate is going on in the country to see how E-Scooters can be made legal, and how they can be regulated to make sure that all concerns of the stakeholders are satisfied. It was revealed in the month of November that a detailed report has been prepared and it is ready to be given to legislators to consider the regulation of E-Scooters. The Road Safety Authority of Ireland is involved in the research process to know, how E-Scooters are being managed in other parts of the world. They are especially analyzing the trends and regulations associated with the EU so that a viable report with considerations is developed, which is presented to the Department of Transport. The report has mentioned that E-Scooters are getting popular in Ireland, and its number of users is increasing regardless of the fact that E-Scooters have not been made legal by the authorities (Bracken, 2019)

               It is quite a sad state of things that a product is getting popular among the Irish people, but they are not given the authority to drive it freely having legal protection. It is a great means of transportation for Irish people because technology is making it cheaper for them, and it is a very convenient way for them to travel to markets or offices with almost no costs involved, once the E-Scooter is purchased. It is quite shocking to see that the use of E-Scooter is managed under the Road Traffic Act 1961, which is actually made for people, who own a motorbike or car. It means that owners of E-Scooters will have to follow the same rules, which are followed by an owner of the car such as getting insured and paying the vehicle taxes. But a ray of hope is still there that government stakeholders will look at its popularity among Irish people, as well as, they should also look at its benefits, which it can provide to people and the environment. It is an electric-powered scooter so it is not going to contribute to environmental pollution. Moreover, it is a renewable energy resource scooter, which is another great thing to move forward in the direction of renewable and sustainable energy in the region. That’s why various E-Scooter companies are coming with an aggressive strategy to penetrate into the Irish market because they are hopeful that government will allow E-Scooters on roads with easy legal terms (Gorey, 2019)

               It is an issue of concern, not only for Ireland but for the whole world that transport should be managed and the number of vehicles on the roads should be less in numbers so that the world can deal with pollution, as well as, energy-related issues. The Irish government should also understand that if they want to decrease the number of cars on their roads, then they have to work on sustainable and more environment-friendly options, and E-Scooter is one of them. Marc Mac Sharry is Transport, Tourism and Sport’s spokesperson, and he said in a statement that “The reality is that e-scooters will be used, especially among young people. They offer a green alternative to commuters making short journeys around the city and suburbs. E-scooters have the potential to reduce congestion and emissions,” His statement brings hope to users and companies of E-Scooters because if government stakeholders will look at the issue in this way, then they can understand the importance of E-Scooters for environment and roads. The concerns related to speed, use and safety are certainly valid, but solutions can be found for them if things are handled properly, and a detailed strategy is developed by looking at the regulations adopted by other developed countries in the EU (GOREY, 2019). It is good to see that users are also playing their part in campaigns in favor of E-Scooters to be legalized on the roads of Ireland. This issue is even more important for people of Dublin than anywhere else in Ireland because it has been observed that the popularity of E-Scooters has been going up by in the city of Dublin. E-Scooter is becoming a common thing to be seen on streets in Dublin city, which is a sign that people are opting for this eco-friendly transportation device, so the Irish government should facilitate the public to use it with freedom. If people are involved in cheap, less consuming energy resources, then the government should come up with initiatives and legal elements to encourage people so that environment and energy is saved (Early, 2019)

Conclusion/Recommendations of the Challenges for E-Scooters in Dublin (Ireland)

               After analyzing all relevant aspects of the challenges faced by E-Scooters in Dublin, Ireland; it can be said that the issue cannot be ignored by the Irish government anymore, and they should come up with serious considerations to regularize and legalize the use of E-Scooters on Irish roads. The world is struggling to push its people to adopt eco-friendly options to travel such as leaving their private vehicles at home, and using public transport, or suing vehicles running on renewable energy resources. On the other hand, the people in Dublin are ready to take E-Scooter as their major travel partner in the city. The great thing about E-Scooters is that they are not going to create any traffic jams or influx of traffic, and they are also going to contribute zero pollution to the environment. So, it is recommended to Irish government that they should legalize is as on as possible, and get it out of the list of other vehicles such motorcycles & cars, and it should be given a special status, as an eco-friendly option to be used on the roads of Dublin, Ireland.

References of the Challenges for E-Scooters in Dublin (Ireland)

Appolonia, A. (2019) E-scooter riders are confused about where to ride and what regulations to follow, [Online], Available: https://www.businessinsider.com/e-scooter-riders-where-to-ride-what-rules-to-follow-2019-9 [10 December 2019].

Bracken, A. (2019) Government regulation of e-scooters on Irish roads could now be on the way, [Online], Available: https://extra.ie/2019/06/10/news/irish-news/government-regulation-of-e-scooters-on-irish-roads-could-now-be-on-the-way [10 December 2019].

BreakingNews.ie (2019) E-scooters not legal on public roads, Minister says, [Online], Available: https://www.thejournal.ie/electric-scooter-regulations-ireland-4646594-May2019/ [9 December 2019].

Early, R. (2019) Licensing e-scooters ‘would put people off green travel’, [Online], Available: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/licensing-e-scooters-would-put-people-off-green-travel-lncvcb257 [10 December 2019].

Finn, C. (2019) Decision on E-scooter regulations due shortly, as minister says electric scooter users should have a driving licence, [Online], Available: https://www.thejournal.ie/electric-scooter-regulations-ireland-4646594-May2019/ [9 December 2019].

Gorey, C. (2019) E-scooter players stuck at legal red light in Ireland, but revving to go, [Online], Available: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/companies/e-scooters-ireland-legal-voi-uber-lime [10 December 2019].

GOREY, C. (2019) What would change for Irish e-scooter owners under proposed Bill?, [Online], Available: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/machines/e-scooter-laws-ireland-change [10 December 2019].

Kelly, O. (2019) Electric scooters ‘not eligible’ for use on Irish roads, [Online], Available: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/electric-scooters-not-eligible-for-use-on-irish-roads-1.4097287 [9 December 2019].

Zoom (2018) THE HISTORY OF ELECTRIC SCOOTERS, [Online], Available: https://www.ridezoom.co/the-history-of-electric-scooters/ [9 December 2019].