Cork EV charging project put on hold due to knock-on effect from e-scooter legislation

Twelve sites — including Lapp's Quay, Victoria Cross, Mardyke Walk, South Mall, Pope's Quay, and Glasheen Road — were to have two parking bays with EV charging stations and infrastructure to facilitate car-sharing

On July 29, the Government brought in new regulations to increase the minimum age for e-scooter users to 18, make helmets and high-visibility clothing mandatory, and increase fines.

A Cork City Council project to install electric vehicle charging points across the city has been put on hold indefinitely due to a knock-on effect from new e-scooter legislation.

On July 29, the Government brought in new regulations to increase the minimum age for e-scooter users to 18, make helmets and high-visibility clothing mandatory, and increase fines.

The Department of Transport said it will explore further proposals in the coming months, and “in light of these changes, will now pause and review funding of public e-scooters schemes".

This has had unexpected knock-on effects on projects in local authorities, including those not involving e-scooters.

In June, Cork City Council agreed to a mobility hub pilot whereby 12 sites — including Lapp's Quay, Victoria Cross, Mardyke Walk, South Mall, Pope's Quay, and Glasheen Road — would have two parking bays with EV charging stations and infrastructure to facilitate car-sharing.

Although the Cork project did not involve e-scooters, it was due to be funded through a wider Government and National Transport Authority pilot programme. In other local authority areas, the funding was earmarked for public e-scooter schemes.

As a result of changes to the national programme following the introduction of e-scooter legislation, funding decisions have been delayed across the scheme, including for Cork's EV project.

Separately, Cork City Council had sought expressions of interest for a revised shared-bike scheme. Potential operators were told they could also provide e-scooters if these formed part of the final model adopted for the city.

A number of parties ruled themselves out on this basis and now the process will need to be started again, without inclusion of e-scooters.

'No consultation with local authorities'

Green Party councillor Oliver Moran said: “This is what happens when a government lurches from one policy to the next. There was no consultation with local authorities or an assessment of what impact it would have.

“The EV charging project in Cork has nothing to do with e-scooters, and I don't believe we would have settled on e-scooters for the bike-share scheme, but now both projects are up in the air because of government uncertainty. 

“Anyone looking at social media is now being inundated with posts by the gardaí seizing illegal e-scooters. This is before the new regulations even come into force, so it could have been done all along.

“I've been contacted by commuters with conditions that mean they cannot drive, like epilepsy, who are genuinely fearful about what will happen to them.

“They fear the rug is going to be pulled from under them in using e-scooters to get to work by a government who don't know what they are doing.”