E-scooters to be banned on public transport due to safety concerns over fires

E-scooters are to be banned on public transport for safety reasons due to concerns about the risk of fires, the National Transport Authority has announced.

In a guidance document, just published, the NTA says the ban will apply to buses, trains and Luas trams and will include e-scooters which can be folded or easily carried by users.

The ban, which will not apply to e-bikes or mobility scooters, will take effect in early October. 

Explaining the decision, the NTA says e-scooters are a relatively new product which were not regulated 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. The tested batteries of e-bikes and mobility scooters do not pose the same level of risk," read a briefing document which adds that the restriction will be subject to periodic review by the NTA and public transport operators.

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The guidance for public transport operators 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. This has resulted in recent fires and thick black smoke on board public transport," said a spokesperson who added that similar restrictions are already in place in the UK and in a number of European cities including Berlin and Barcelona.