A fifth of Irish commuters would consider abandoning their cars and getting to work by e-scooter, according to a new survey by Carzone.
72 per cent of car owners drive on their commute
The latest Carzone Motoring Report shows that 86 per cent of Ireland's car owners drive every day, and 72 per cent use their cars to get to work. Only six per cent carpool with colleagues or friends, but 20 per cent - faced with increasing traffic congestion and commuting times - would consider using an electric scooter, or e-scooter. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that proportion increases when you look at younger drivers - 30 per cent of 18-34 year olds would consider it, as compared to 21 per cent of those over 45.
Safety and legality of e-scooters an issue
It's an interesting statistic, not least because e-scooters are currently illegal to use on the public road, according to the Road Traffic Act. Oddly, that's only the fifth most popular reason for most people to reject using such devices - 48 per cent of people mention the lack of protection against the weather as a deterrent. An increase in travel time (42 per cent) was also an issue for some, as well as the perception that e-scooters are not safe (36 per cent). Only a third (32 per cent) wouldn't consider an e-scooter due to the fact they are not yet legal on Irish roads, and another 40 per cent would just prefer to drive a car.
e-scooters seen as more eco-friendly
Commenting on the latest report, Karl Connolly, Audience Manager Carzone said: "Our latest Carzone Motoring Report is our eleventh edition where we examine trends and changing behaviours of Irish motorists. In our latest edition, we've put a significant focus on the introduction of the e-scooter as a commuting option. This year's report found that people consider e-scooters a more environmentally friendly option and would consider using them instead of a fuel vehicle for their daily commutes. There are still a number of barriers to using e-scooters. Interestingly, the fact that they are not legal was only the fifth most popular barrier, with weather protection, preferences for using a car and not wanting to extend the commute top of Irish people's considerations."