E-scooter companies are fighting weight restrictions

Several major e-scooter companies have said weight limits are not practical in upcoming government regulations.

The Road Traffic and Roads Bill will introduce long-awaited regulations for e-scooters on Irish roads and allow large, venture-backed e-scooter rental companies to enter the Irish market.

A group of these companies, including Voi, Lime and Tier, wrote to Transport Secretary Eamon Ryan to highlight remaining issues with e-scooter weight limit legislation.

Under the draft law currently before the Seanad, the maximum curb weight for a vehicle or Personal Powered Transporter (PPT) is 25 kg.

That limit goes against regulations in other parts of Europe, the companies said, where limits range from 50kg to 75kg. That higher limit allows for a more durable frame design and safer technology on the vehicle, as well as the ability to accommodate a larger battery, they said.

“A curb weight limit of 25kg would require the use of earlier models of shared e-scooters, which more closely resemble personal e-scooter hardware and have been shown to provide poorer safety outcomes, including higher injury rates,” the letter reads.

“The increased weight also makes it more difficult to steal or move shared e-scooters without being unlocked via the usual in-app process, reducing theft, anti-social behavior and the risk of road hazards,” he added.

The companies’ e-scooters also contain central processing units to operate security cameras and sensors, adding to the vehicle’s overall weight.

The companies say the minimum weight in Ireland should be at least 55kg.

A spokesman for the Department of Transportation said it acknowledged the concerns raised by the companies in the letter.

“There has been no further correspondence or engagement since then,” he said.