Elderly man knocked down by e-scooter in Laois town

A council meeting was told an old man was knocked down and injured by an e-scooter in Portarlington.

Independent Cllr Aidan Mullins raised the issue at a monthly meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.

He said the elderly man’s face was smashed when he was knocked down on a path while coming out of a shop. 

“A young lad on an e-scooter knocked down an elderly man coming out of a shop,” he explained. 

“All his face was smashed,” said Cllr Mullins.  

He noted that when he put in a request in a motion at a previous meeting, the council had refused to erect signs warning that e-scooters weren’t permitted on footpaths. He said they had informed him that it had to be in the traffic signs manual and that signs for bicycles would also apply to e-scooters.

“I still think we should have signs up saying no e-scooters on footpaths,” said Cllr Mullins. 

He said the response he got meant the council were not going to take any action. 

Laois County Council Senior Executive Engineer Philip McVeigh said the matter should be referred back to the roads design office. 

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Cllr Mullins said he would follow up on the issue with the roads design office.