E-scooters banned on public transport from Monday over 'risk of combustion'

E-scooters will be banned on public transport from Monday due to a "risk of combustion".

According to the National Transport Authority (NTA), the lithium-ion batteries used in e-scooters are known to develop internal faults, which can lead to overheating and combustion.

Based on guidance issued by the NTA in August, public transport operators will prohibit the carriage of e-scooters on buses and trains, including those that can be folded or carried, from this Monday, October 7.

"E-scooters are a relatively new product and were unregulated in Ireland until earlier this year," the guidance from the NTA states.

"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."

The restriction will not apply to e-bikes or mobility scooters, the NTA said, as the tested batteries in these "do not pose the same level of risk".

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The ban applies to all public transport services operated under contract with the NTA, including Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Go-Ahead Ireland, Iarnród Éireann, Luas and TFI Local Link.

It has been prompted by safety concerns in relation to many lithium-ion batteries which are commonplace in such devices.

"These batteries are known to develop internal faults, leading to overheating and combustion," the NTA said, which has resulted in recent fires and "thick black smoke on board public transport" in Madrid and Barcelona.

Berlin, Barcelona, and the UK have already introduced similar bans.