E-scooters will not be permitted on public transportation vehicles due to safety concerns regarding the possibility of flames occurring on buses, trams and trains, reports RTE.
A guideline paper has been released by the National Transport Authority (NTA) in response to safety concerns over lithium-ion batteries, which are frequently used in e-scooters.
“These batteries are known to develop internal faults, leading to overheating and combustion,” the company stated in a statement.
Foldable and carry-along e-scooters are prohibited, but not mobility scooters or e-bikes. Early October is when it will go into effect, reports RTE.
Lithium-ion batteries have been linked to “recent fires and thick black smoke on board public transport in Madrid and Barcelona,” according to the NTA.
“Similar restrictions are already in place in Berlin, Barcelona, and the UK,” reports RTE.
E-scooters are a relatively new product, and they were unregulated in Ireland until early this year.
“The quality control of their construction is therefore not as mature or well developed as e-bikes and mobility scooters, which have been regulated for longer,” stated the statement, reports RTE.
“The tested batteries of e-bikes and mobility scooters do not pose the same level of risk.”
The NTA and transport providers, such as Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Go-Ahead Ireland, Iarnród Éireann and Luas, will evaluate the prohibition on a regular basis, reports RTE.
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