Banned in Melbourne and Paris, but OK in Wexford?

By Dan Walsh

Wexford town has stepped up to the mark with the launch of around 50 shared electric transport devices – the e-scooter scheme to be made available by the mobility firm Bolt . In the last few days, Melbourne became the latest city to ban e-scooter rental after hundreds of accidents sparked outrage from the public. Last September, Paris also outlawed them.

“Scooters have the potential to change towns and cities for the better, encouraging a more sustainable and environmentally friendlier way to travel, reducing car traffic, and connecting with existing transport networks,” said Aisling Dunne, Head of Public Policy for Ireland at Bolt, who added; “We are excited to enable people to move around in an affordable, efficient and safe way.”

The scooters being deployed by Bolt will have a built-in speed-limit of 20km/h to prevent speeding.

The devices will have to be parked in mandatory parking locations in the town, like the shared e-bike scheme already in operation there by Bolt.

“Bolt’s existing e-bike scheme in Wexford has proved to be a popular travel option that has become an integral part of people’s daily commutes,” said Claire Goodwin, outgoing Cycling and Walking Officer at Wexford County Council.

To operate an e-scooter, a user will have to register their details and be at least 18 years old. The e-scooters will also have GPS tracking devices on them. To prevent their use while the user is drunk or impaired by any other substance, the Bolt app has a cognitive test that measures their reaction time between 10pm and 5am. The e-scooters also have a built-in tandem riding prevention system to stop more than one person from riding the device at the same time.

“These kinds of ‘micromobility’ schemes offer the public a range of sustainable transport choices, which is a vital contribution to the decarbonisation of transport emissions,” said James Lawless, Minister of State at the Department of Transport.