Cork councillor says let 16-year-olds drive 'microcars'

A Cork councillor has proposed that teenagers be allowed to drive 'microcars' from the age of 16.

Quadricycles are battery-powered cars which are defined by limitations in terms of weight, engine power, and speed. They are common in France, Italy, and Finland.

Cork North West ward councillor Damian Boylan told The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk that the move should be taken to bring Ireland “in step with the rest of Europe”.

“Am I suggesting that 14-year-olds should be handed the keys to the car and let off into the sunset? I’m not suggesting that for a minute,” he said.

“If we’re suggesting that we can give a 16-year-old a scooter, some quadricycles are simply scooters with a surrounding to them. If you are allowed ride a scooter at 16, I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t be allowed to drive one of these at 16.”

The typical maximum speed on a microcar is 45km/h, nearly double the speed limit placed on e-scooters. The average quadricycle is also much heavier than an e-scooter.

Mr Boylan said that the microcars are mainly used in city centres.

Urban

“I mean, look, what we’re talking about here is urban transport at 30km/h to 45km/h through a city,” he said.

“They weigh around 500kg on average. They are minimal. It is two seats. It is urban driving. Let’s be honest with ourselves. I live in Blarney, and I couldn’t see anybody driving one of these from Blarney into Cork.

“But if somebody lived in Bishopstown and they wanted to get into Patrick Street or if they wanted to get over to Blackrock through town, that I could see happening.”

The Fine Gael councillor said that it is not a case of just “handing these to people”.

“The way it is done in France is that anyone who wants to be driving one of these must go through a set of driving instruction hours and must get signed off as competent,” he said. 

“So it’s not a case where, like with the electric scooters, anyone over the age of 16 can just plonk themselves up on an electric scooter and take off.

“Lots of people who would look at something like the Citroën Ami or one of the other microcars and say to themselves: ‘Yeah, you know, I live in a city, this is about 10 grand, it’s plastic so it won’t rust.’ It’s electric, so it’s not going to need a lot of servicing. All I want is basic transport to get me to work and get me home, and it ticks that box perfectly.”

Registered

Mr Boylan said that unlike scooters, microcars have number plates, and are registered to drive on the roads.

“They are treated as a car,” he said. “There is tax paid, there is insurance paid, and there is a registration plate up.

“Look, the bottom line is that I’m not asking anybody to sanction a 14-year-old to drive one, but I’m asking people to consider 16-year-olds driving them.

“You are driving at 16 on a scooter. It is much of a muchness, in my opinion. They [microcars] offer something else to add to the mix. That is all.”