E-scooters to remain part of Dundalk mobility hubs despite safety concerns

Louth County Council have ruled out excluding e-scooters as part of the planned mobility hubs for Dundalk. 

The local authority announced its intention to install 41 mobility hubs across Dundalk in February which aims to give people access to shared mobility services such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric vehicles (EV).

However concerns had been raised about the inclusion of e-scooters as part of the pilot. 

Fianna Fáil councillor Shane McGuinness previously said he didn't believe they should be involved with the mobility hubs "in any way at all". 

The issue was raised again at the April meeting of Louth County Council in which Independent councillor Ciarán Fisher said he had flagged safety concerns with e-scooters. 

David Jones, Director of Major Capital Projects and Infrastructure Delivery with Louth County Council said there is no scope for the local authority to "opt-out of certain aspects" of the pilot. 

"The Department have been quite clear, all aspects of shared mobility will be included in this pilot. That includes bicycles, EV cars and e-scooters as well. It’s not an option for us to opt-out of certain aspects of it. It’s all-or-nothing, and that’s what we have as an executive signed up to," he said. 

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Mr Jones said there are safeguards in place for e-scooters such as speed limits and requirements for battery power and added that a similar project was rolled out in Wexford in 2024. He said the e-scooter providers have their own "checks and balances" with regards to the usage of the scooters. 

"People have to do an awareness course online and the provider has a mechanism to monitor the usage by certain users and if there is abuse of it, there is a three strikes and you’re out policy," he said. 

Mr Jones said e-scooters are now a "fact of life" and that the mobility hubs could bring awareness and spread information around proper use of them. 

"A combination of the regulations that have been brought in by the government plus the safeguards from the e-scooter provider should be able to alleviate concerns of the members in relation to it."

"You have to recognise the benefits of them, but clearly there are concerns and that’s why the regulations have come in and why we have safeguards as part of any future mobility hub in Dundalk." he said. 

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.