Mattie McGrath warns on e-scooter safety and tax exemptions

As Deputy McSherley indicated when he initiated this bill at first stage, the purpose here was to set legal parameters for the safe use of electric scooters. Currently it is effectively illegal to use an electric scooter on Irish roads and such vehicles are liable for seizure by GRD. There is also a requirement that these vehicles be taxed and insured as mechanically propelled vehicles. And let's face it, every other vehicle has to be, so why should they be exempt? As I understand it, the bill removes the requirements for electronic scooters and electric bicycles to be taxed and insured by altering the definition of mechanically propelled vehicles. I would have major concerns here on the fairness to other, we must be fair to everybody. I don't see anywhere where the road traffic amendment bill regarding revitalising or drug testing for these vehicles. I don't know, is it the bill, or what's the story, or are we going to have one law for Dublin and a different law for the country, because the scooters won't be used in Tipperary, you know, or Cork. Yes, the scooters cannot travel at high speed, but they are capable of getting up to 25 to 30 kph, even 40 kph in some of the more expensive varieties. And that is at high speed if you run into somebody's ability to stop, and that is because of tiny tyres. And indeed, I want to see where I have a young man in care, Jason Maher, who has a tyre app produced, the finest app you could have, and it's a road safety authority, our insurance companies embrace it. We would cut down on multiple serious accidents, and indeed fatalities. And he's put some ideas into it, and we must think outside the box and listen to young men like him when they have researched this and have done a tremendous work on it. I see a clear reason why scooters should be exempt from tax. We know that road safety campaigns in housing estates require the speed to be kept under 20 kph, and they should be. We introduced Jake's law some years ago regarding the cars. This is a clear recognition that mechanically propelled devices are capable of harm and should be used with care and distinction. And I don't know, as I mentioned either, but the age of use, can a child drive them? Which I often see, unfortunately, is there an age limit? The fact that this method of travel, especially in cities, is increasing, only serves to highlight the greater necessity to treat them as we do other methods of mechanically travelling. And maybe Minister Ross, instead of his electric car that he plugged in outside in wherever his village is, and there was nothing there. They're only a fake. Fake news, fake minister, fake green emissions. A total fake and a fraud. Tell her you have to come in here every evening to replace them. I think we'll have to get an effigy of him made and put it over there in the seat at night time, that we won't forget what he looks like. So, I wish this bill more investigation. And another thing I want to see is taillights are luminous. They're very dangerous in the dark, and you don't see these vehicles. There's a lot of issues around this area. .