An investigation is ongoing into an incident in Tyrellstown on Friday night, which left a four-year-old girl seriously injured after she was struck by a scrambler type e-bike in an apparent hit-and-run.
For residents of Curragh Hall, the misuse of such vehicles is alarming.
Anelise Andrade, who lives in the area, said that she learned about the incident in the local chat group and was "in shock".
"It's definitely a concern," she said, especially for families and dog owners.
Ms Andrade added that she frequently hears "fast teenagers" driving in cars and motorcycles around the neighbourhood.
The vehicle involved in this incident was described by gardaí as a "Surron type e-bike".
Some models can go as fast as 75km/h.
For local councillor John-Kingsley Onwumereh, representing Fianna Fáil in Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart, the dangerous use of scramblers and their electric alternatives is an "ongoing issue."
"The regularity with which these incidents are happening is a huge concern to everyone in the area", the councillor said, adding that electric scramblers are posing particular danger - "they are quieter, they are faster, and they can sneak up on you."
He has called for stricter regulations of such vehicles and mandatory registration.
In May, a 63-year-old woman was seriously injured in a hit-and-run on Gardiner Street in Dublin, while earlier this year, a woman was brought to hospital with serious injuries after a teenager crashed into her while she was waiting at a Luas Stop.
In a statement to RTÉ News, An Garda Síochána said it "has a proactive approach in addressing the illegal use of scramblers, quads, e-bikes, and e-scooters."
Empowered by Section 109A of the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, gardaí can arrest without warrant and seize vehicles from within the curtilage of a dwelling, if the vehicles caused "public nuisance or endangered public safety."
Steady rise in scrambler seizures
There has been a steady rise in seizures of scramblers, quads and e-bikes in the Dublin Metropolitan Area, amounting to 164 seizures in just the first four months of this year, compared to 128 in all of last year and 67 in 2023.
Scramblers and electric equivalents are often being used to commit serious criminal offences like burglary, thefts and drug dealing.
Starting last December, gardaí are permitted to pursue people driving scramblers, scooters and electric bikes in a dangerous fashion. Avoiding a pursuit is, however, the "first priority" for gardaí, due to the dangers it poses to the public.
The extent of the misuse of scramblers and scrambler type e-bikes is particularly obvious in Dublin’s north inner city, where drivers of these vehicles have been seen on footpaths, disregarding traffic lights and speed limits, and performing dangerous wheelies.
Janet Horner, the Green Party councillor for the area, called this behaviour "obnoxious", "flagrant" and "upsetting" for the residents in the area.
She talked to RTÉ News on the corner of Gardiner Street and Sean MacDermott Street.
"When people hear and see them roaring up and down with little to no regard for anybody else in the area, it is incredibly intimidating. It also shows that there is criminal activity happening with little enforcement," councillor Horner said, noting that anti-social behaviour increases during the summer months.
Local councillors had several meetings with the representatives of An Garda Síochána, calling for increased enforcement and "zero tolerance" for the use of scramblers.
"We need the gardaí to send a strong signal that those vehicles are just completely unacceptable."
Spots like the motocross track in Clontarf, the councillor argued, could be among ways to give young people a better outlet for their energy.
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