An attempt to bring in a Parisian style ban on e-scooters from greenways in Kerry, on the grounds of safety, has failed.
Paris recently voted overwhelmingly to ban rental e-scooters in many areas after hundreds of accidents and a number of fatalities in 2022.
However, a similar attempt on Kerry's greenways was defeated during a council vote.
The country’s network of greenways are reserved exclusively for non-motorised vehicles but national guidelines are awaited, a council meeting heard.
New guidelines on the county’s two greenways have been introduced amid concern that national guidelines on greenways were taking too long to prepare.
Cllr Johnny Wall, who replaced Education Minister Norma Foley on the council, said he had tracked an e-scooter travelling at 30km/hr in Tralee and that there had been at least one serious accident in which a woman was knocked down.
"E-scooters are silent and fast and you can’t hear them. It’s very important to regulate them and the only way you can do it on greenways is to ban them," Cllr Wall said.
He supported a motion by Fine Gael councillor Jim Finucane, who said greenways were places of peace and tranquility and people expected to feel safe and secure on them. A message needed to be sent out, he said moving a proposal to ban the e-scooters from greenways in Kerry.
"We don’t want people concerned about dangerous speeds," Cllr Finucane added.
National guidelines are long awaited on both greenways and e-scooters the meeting was told.
However, Independent Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae strongly opposed the motion.
If e-scooters were banned, "then you would have no choice only to ban all other forms of bicycles, E-Bikes, etc," he said.
Cllr Healy-Rae said that a fit person on a racing bike, which are allowed on the greenways, can easily reach speeds of between 30-50km/hr and if they hit somebody they will do just as much, if not more damage, to a person or child if they hit someone.
"Similarly with E-Bikes, we have cargo E-Bikes travelling these greenways that carry children in the front of them that can hit 30km/hr and yet there seems to be no issue with them," he said.
The move to ban e-scooters was defeated with 15 councillors voting against and nine for the proposal by Cllr Finucane.
So far Kerry has two greenways along old railway lines in north Kerry, with work on the south Kerry greenway under way.
Dog fouling was already a problem and the new guidelines stipulate all pets "must" be on a lead and owners must clean up after their dogs.
A motorised ban extends to quadbikes and motorbikes as well as cars in Kerry, along with barbecues and camping being prohibited.
The Department of Transport has been asked for comment on the introduction of national guidelines.
