By Rebecca Crockett
E-SCOOTERS are not allowed on public transport from today due to concerns over safety.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has said lithium-ion batteries can develop internal faults which can lead to overheating and combustion.
Anyone caught with an e-scooter on a train will be liable for a €100 fine.
Based on this advice, public transport operators have banned the use of e-scooters on buses and trains, including those that can be folded or carried.
This restriction does not apply to e-bikes or mobility scooters.
In a statement the NTA said: “E-scooters are a relatively new product and were unregulated in Ireland until earlier 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.”
Sustainable transport campaigners have been critical of the ban which they call confusing. This is due to the government legalising e-scooters just months before this new ban.
“Jason Cullen, chair of the Dublin Commuter Coalition, said: “They’re either safe or they’re not safe. If the government is saying things are safe, we need our transport regulator to come on board.”
The NTA have said that they will review the ban early next year.
New rules on e-scooters come after fires on public transport in Madrid, Barcelona, and London due to similar devices.
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