Calls For New Laws To Deal With Rickshaws Operating In Dublin

The call is being made following the publication of a survey carried out by AA Car Insurance in which almost 80% of the 5,000 Irish motorists included in the survey expressed concerns about the dangers posed by rickshaws in the cities across Ireland.
Over 50% strongly agree with the idea that stronger legislation is needed in relation to the use of rickshaws in Ireland, while close to 60% of motorists believe that the popular mode of transport present too much of a danger to other road users.
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Dublin, John Lahart TD has said that substantive regulations must be introduced to address the growing concern about proliferation of battery powered rickshaws in Dublin City Centre.
“Despite their growing presence, no mechanism for regulation has been put in place to provide for the management of rickshaws in the city centre," Deputy Lahart tells us.
“My party colleagues and I have been raising the need to develop regulatory policy with the National Transport Authority around rickshaw licensing, insurance and user safety for well over a year.
“Fianna Fáil has previously put forward a number of amendments to the Road Traffic Bill 2016 to legislate or the regulation of rickshaws. In the same way that motorists, taxi operators and public transport drivers are standardised, we must make legislative changes to help protect the public from the unsafe practices being employed by some rickshaw operators in the city.
"These common sense proposals will mean that rickshaws will have to be licenced, drivers can be subject to background checks and the condition and roadworthiness of rickshaws themselves will also be inspected.
He concludes: "My hope is that this work from AA will lend support and momentum to our efforts to introduce some order in this area."