Decathlon begins removal of e-scooters from sale in Ireland

Decathlon Ireland has begun removing e-scooters from sale in-store and on its Irish website.The removal of the product will include all e-scooters sold directly by Decathlon and those offered by third-party sellers.A spokesperson for Decathlon Ireland said: “As part of our commitment to responsible retailing and compliance with Irish legislation, we have begun removing all e-scooters from sale on our Irish website, including those offered by third-party marketplace sellers.”New regulations set to come into effect as soon as next month will extend the existing ban on e-scooters for under-16s to under-18s, while making high-visibility jackets and helmets mandatory for users.READ MORELegislation will be brought forward from September to set up a national register of e-scooters, which will be treated as “mechanically propelled vehicles” requiring a licence and registration.Currently, e-scooters are not allowed to go beyond a speed of 20km/h, but this is widely flouted. Selling e-scooters that are too fast for Irish roads will be banned.The spokesperson said Decathlon “will continue to closely monitor our platform so that any products that may inadvertently appear are removed without delay”. [ The Irish Times view on e-scooters: comprehensive action requiredOpens in new window ]It said the company “remains committed to supporting safe and responsible mobility and will continue to review its product offering in line with evolving legislation and customer needs”.There are 1,750 Decathlon stores in 62 countries worldwide.The flagship Decathlon Dublin store in Ballymun is in the top 15 for company sales in the world.[ Conor Pope: A close shave with a Dublin bus made me reconsider commuting by e-scooterOpens in new window ]