Under new regulations, the government now requires e-scooter riders to wear high-viz vests.

Think about this: The fine for riding an e-scooter without a high-viz vest is €100. That’s higher than the fine for a motorist stopped by gardaí for driving without reasonable consideration, which is €80, as well as a raft of other offences, including driving on the wrong side of the road, which is just €60.

Now, I’m no great fan of e-scooters. I walk, cycle, take the bus, and drive. They are the only common form of transport I don’t actually use. I see e-scooter riders, like all road users, do irresponsible things, but I don’t begrudge them a place on the road.

For 5% of commuters, more than 150,000 people in Ireland, that’s how they get about. The attractiveness is that they are cheap, easy, and climate-friendly. For some, like people with epilepsy, they offer motorised transport when they otherwise aren’t allowed to drive.

These are the only options for many when faced with a government that’s determined to increase public transport fares, even while also announcing that they won’t be adding any new bus services this year.

So, I feel aggrieved when people who have done nothing wrong, suddenly find themselves on the wrong side of the law. More so when those who do more wrong and pose more of a risk are given a free ride.

The starting point for the crackdown on e-scooter users was a spike in cases of serious head injuries to children from falls off e-scooters. There was no pause to ask how children came........

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