Councillors oppose e-scooter ban on Kerry greenways
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An attempt to bring in a Parisian-style ban on e-scooters from greenways in Kerry on the grounds of safety has failed.
Paris recently voted overwhelmingly to ban rental e-scooters in many areas after hundreds of accidents and a number of fatalities in 2022.
However a similar call for a ban on Kerry greenways was defeated during a council vote.
The country’s network of greenways is reserved exclusively for non-motorised vehicles, but national guidelines are awaited, a council meeting heard.
New guidelines on Kerry's two greenways have been brought in amid concern national guidelines on greenways were taking too long to prepare.
E-scooters are sometimes travelling at 30k/ph in Tralee and there was at least one serious accident recently in which an elderly lady was knocked down and broke her hip, Cllr Johnny Wall said.
“E-scooters are silent and fast and you can’t hear them. It’s very important to regulate them and the only way you can do it on greenways is to ban them,” Mr Wall said.
He supported a motion by Fine Gael councillor Jim Finucane, who said greenways are places of peace and tranquility and people expect to feel safe and secure on them. A message needs to be sent out, he said, moving a proposal to ban the e-scooters from greenways in Kerry.
“We don’t want people concerned about dangerous speeds,” Mr Finucane said.
However, Independent councillor Jackie Healy-Rae strongly opposed the motion.
He said if e-scooters are banned "then you would have no choice only to ban all other forms of bicycles, e-bikes etc”. A fit person on a racing bike which is allowed on the greenways can easily reach speeds of between 30-50k/ph and if they hit somebody will do just as much, if not more, damage to a person or child, Mr Healy-Rae said.
“Similarly with e-bikes, we have cargo e-bikes travelling these greenways that carry children in the front of them that can hit 30k/ph and yet there seems to be no issue with them,” he said.
The move to ban e-scooters was defeated, with 15 councillors voting against and nine for the proposal by Mr Finucane.
So far, Kerry has two greenways along old railway lines in North Kerry, with work on the South Kerry greenway under way.
A motorised ban extends to quadbikes and motorbikes as well as cars, while barbecues and camping are also not permitted.