Government Publishes Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD and Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton TD have announced the publication of the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021.

The Bill is a wide-ranging and significant piece of legislation and will deliver on key legislative commitments in the Programme for Government.

These include:

• E-scooters – a new class of powered personal transporters (PPTs), including e-scooters, will be created, and the Minister will be able to provide for the use of these vehicles in public places under existing regulatory powers.

• Laws to deal with dangerous and antisocial off-road use of scramblers, quads and other similar vehicles will be strengthened.

• Legislation to support the newly installed dynamic traffic management on the M50.

• Legislation to support more rapid implementation of BusConnects.

• Amendments to the records of vehicles and drivers, which will strengthen law enforcement by directly linking licensed drivers to registered vehicles.

• Amendments to complete the statutory basis of a shared database of insured drivers (the Motor Third Party Liability or MTPL database) to combat uninsured driving.

The Bill also contains a variety of other measures which will enhance safety on our roads and help to make public transport and active transport more attractive.

Speaking today, Minister Ryan said “I am very pleased today to be able to publish this important legislation, which I hope to introduce in the Dáil in the next few weeks. We committed in the Programme for Government to resolving legal barriers to the use of e-scooters, as well as e-bikes, and this Bill will deliver on both of those commitments. These proposals in the Bill should be seen as part of our wider efforts to encourage alternative forms of mobility, reduce our culture of reliance on the private car and open opportunities for active and healthy travel. The BusConnects proposals in the Bill will contribute to the same goal by underpinning our investment in a much-improved public transport network. This is a substantial Bill, which will address a number of other important matters. I believe it will represent a major improvement to our traffic and roads laws, with real benefits for the travelling public.

In addition, I am currently working on a number of other measures to address in amendments to the Bill during its passage, in particular to facilitate the provision of active travel infrastructure.”

Minister Naughton said “The publication of this Bill is a significant step on the way to improving safety on our roads. After a long period when road deaths were declining, we have reached a point where it is becoming harder to make an impact. The new measures which allow TII to manage traffic better on the M50 will make it safer for all users, while the completion of the Motor Insurance Database will assist in stopping uninsured drivers, who are often dangerous and guilty of other road traffic offences. It will also help in bringing down the cost of insurance for law-abiding drivers. These and other measures in the Bill are important initiatives which will benefit all road users and help us advance towards our ambitious shared EU Vision Zero of eliminating deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 2050.”