SPORTS SHOP DECATHLON has announced that it is going to stop selling e-scooters in its Irish shops, as new rules are coming to regulate the vehicles.

Currently, the use of e-scooters is banned for anyone under the age of 16.

The new rules, which could take effect as early as August, fall short of an outright ban, but the Taoiseach said it’s a possible future measure.

Soon e-scooters will be treated like all other mechanically propelled vehicles, and licensing and registration will be introduced.

The legislation will also prohibit the sale of scooters to minors and the sale of scooters that do not meet the legal requirements for use on public roads.

Decathlon Ireland has decided to stop selling them altogether, which it says is part of its “commitment to customer safety” and compliance with the new laws.

“Customer safety is our priority. 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,” a spokesperson said.

“We are working closely with our Marketplace partners to ensure all listings are removed and will continue to closely monitor our platform so that any products that may inadvertently appear are removed without delay.”