Government Approves New E-Scooter Rules And RSA Reform Package

Government has approved a package of road safety measures that will raise the minimum age for e-scooter users to 18, make helmets and high-visibility clothing mandatory, and increase fixed charge notices for all e-scooter offences to €100. Funding for public e-scooter schemes is also to be paused and reviewed.

Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien and Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety Seán Canney today secured Government approval for a package of regulatory and administrative changes intended to improve road safety.

Under the new e-scooter regulations, the minimum age for e-scooter users will increase to 18, helmets and high-visibility clothing will become mandatory, and the fixed charge notice for all e-scooter offences will rise to €100. Fees for the release of detained e-scooters will double to €80 for the first day and €30 for each subsequent day.

The Department of Transport will further engage with the Department of Justice, An Garda Síochána and relevant stakeholders in the coming months to explore further proposals, including vehicle registration, mandatory insurance and the requirement to hold a valid driving licence or learner's permit. In light of the changes, the Department will now pause and review funding of public e-scooter schemes.

The Department states that the proposals reflect ongoing concerns around road safety issues and the recent significant rise in serious injuries, particularly among children. Administrative arrangements for further regulations will be explored in the coming weeks.

A second strand of the package covers reform of the Road Safety Authority. A new Road Safety Ambassadors Programme will be introduced this year, appointing high-profile ambassadors to act as public road safety advocates and work with the RSA to target different audiences with road safety messaging. The RSA will also develop and expand existing road safety education programmes, and driver services will be consolidated by increasing operational delivery capacity.

The Department of Transport will transfer ownership of the Driver File element of the National Vehicle and Driver File to the RSA, giving the Authority full end-to-end ownership of all driver-related systems. The proposals build on governance and financial changes introduced following the 2024 Indecon Review of the RSA.

The third strand is the National Vehicle and Driver File, Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2026. The Bill will enable sharing of traffic collision data so that local authorities, in their role as road authorities, may request, receive and process road collision data from both the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána.

It will also allow for the consideration of a charge of careless driving where a jury acquits a defendant of a charge of dangerous driving, and will introduce a range of improvements and efficiencies for drivers, including abolition of the requirement to display a paper motor tax disc.

Further provisions in the Bill include removing the current 12-month maximum on declarations of non-use of a motor vehicle to allow open-ended declarations, underpinning the Check My Vehicle website, amending the Road Traffic Act 2004 to allow for the setting of certain special speed limits, providing clarity on the application of penalty points in multi-offence incidents where a driver is disqualified, and allowing operators of mobile camera vans to provide certificate evidence in court when a fixed charge notice is not paid, rather than having to provide testimony in person.

Darragh O'Brien, Minister for Transport:

"I am pleased to have secured approval from my Cabinet colleagues for this important package of road safety measures. Road safety is a priority for this Government, and the range of measures approved today demonstrates the breadth of actions required to make our roads safer. Improving road safety requires the right legislation, effective policies, strong enforcement, close cooperation between agencies and authorities, and greater public awareness of our shared responsibility as road users.

Today's e-scooter measures respond to the growing number of serious injuries and tragic fatalities associated with their use and provide clear regulations to protect all road users.

Education and public awareness are key components of road safety. I am particularly pleased to see the introduction of a new Road Safety Ambassador programme, to bring road safety messages to a wide range of road users through human connection."

The publication of the National Vehicle and Driver File Bill marks another important milestone in delivering the Government's Road Safety Strategy and our commitments under the Programme for Government. It will ensure that local authorities have direct access to collision data when undertaking road infrastructure investment. The legislative amendments will also facilitate greater real-time access to the database by An Garda Síochána in future, assisting with enforcement and contributing to safety on our roads."

Seán Canney, Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety:

The measures approved today reflect a comprehensive approach to improving road safety. Government has been clear on the need to address the risks posed by e-scooters when not used safely. Today's measures establish a framework for their responsible use, and I look forward to progressing this in the coming weeks.

Minister O'Brien and I took the decision last year not to split the RSA, in the belief that reform was both necessary and possible within the existing organisation, to improve its visibility, impact and effectiveness. The aim of the proposals approved today is to deliver improved customer services and better road safety outcomes. The proposals will consolidate driver and vehicle services in the RSA to provide a renewed focus on performance, efficiency and quality.

The NVDF Bill will make a key contribution to road safety by enabling the sharing of traffic collision data between An Garda Síochána and local authorities. It will also bring improvements and efficiencies for drivers, including the abolition of the requirement to display a paper motor tax disc and allowing for open-ended declarations that a car is off the road. The abolition of motor tax discs is part of a wider project to remove the need to display paper discs in windscreens and I look forward to bringing the legislation through the Oireachtas in the Autumn."

Jerry Buttimer, Minister of State with responsibility for Rural Transport:

I strongly welcome this significant package of measures approved today.

For rural communities in particular, safe and dependable roads are essential to daily life. By strengthening road safety, modernising driver services and supporting evidence-based investment in our road network, we are helping to create safer journeys and more connected communities across the country. I look forward to working with colleagues across Government to deliver these important measures to the benefit of all road users."

The Bill is intended to allow road authorities to target areas where collisions are more prone to occur with investment and infrastructure, aligned with the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 and the broader EU Safe Systems approach.