A Ukrainian man has had his case of breaching a little-known e-scooter law struck out by a District Court judge.
The man appeared before Waterford City District Court on a summons for the carriage of goods on an e-scooter.
Judge Kevin Staunton said the State had proved its case, but a conviction would be unfair.
Last Thursday, the court heard a garda observed the man last August 8th seated on an e-scooter with a box he was “effectively holding in place” with his feet. The garda took a photo of the man travelling down the local quays and issued a fixed-penalty notice, which went unpaid.
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A solicitor acting for the defendant said his client admits to having committed the offence but he could not have known he was breaching regulations.
The solicitor said the offence occurred shortly after a change to the law that was not well publicised and was not yet on the Road Safety Authority’s (RSA’s) website.
His client is Ukrainian and has poor English, the solicitor said, adding that he thinks Irish people may not be aware of the law change.
The judge said he was confronted with a difficult decision, given the number of people who say e-scooters are an “absolute menace”.
However, he appreciated the law was not well known and that the defendant is a working man who struggles with English.
“I think it would be unfair to impose a conviction,” he said.
The RSA website now outlines a series of e-scooter rules in place since May 2024. Among them is that e-scooter users must not carry passengers or goods, have a seat, use mobile phones or use footpaths, pedestrianised areas or motorways.
