Dung catchers to become obligatory under bylaw

HORSE-DRAWN carriages will be banned from Dublin city unless they are fitted with dung catchers to stop fouling of the streets, under bylaws being introduced by Dublin City Council.

The city council is following the lead of Killarney Town Council which last month introduced new regulations on the jarvey (carriage drivers) trade in the town, which include the compulsory use of dung catchers.

However unlike the Killarney jarveys, who face the loss of their licence for failing to use the dung catchers, Dublin carriage drivers can be fined up to €1,900 for breaking the bylaws.

The new bylaws, which are due to be ratified by Dublin city councillors tomorrow, will apply to those operating a passenger “hackney carriage, jarvey car or jaunting car” and will not apply not apply to other horses, such as Garda horses.

Drivers will have to obtain a €15 drivers licence and a €50 carriage licence to operate in the city. All drivers must be over 16 years of age, must have Garda clearance and cannot ply for hire at any public space other than designated stands.

The council has sanctioned just two stands in the city; one at St Stephen’s Green and another adjacent to the Guinness Hop Store in Dublin 8. The bylaws prevent drivers using the stand from “calling out” or otherwise accosting any person to hire the carriage.

The new regulations will also apply to drivers who operate carriages from their private properties for weddings and other events.

The city council has received 14 submissions from the public and carriage owners associations to the proposed bylaws.

Unlike in Killarney, where jarveys operating in the national park took an unsuccessful legal action against the imposition of dung catchers, Dublin drivers have raised few objections to their use.

The Liberties Horse and Carriage owners Association did ask that the council provide the dung catchers, as well as bins in which to empty their contents. The council said it was the responsibility of owners to provide their own dung catchers and to dispose of the dung.

However it said it would consider making a waste depot at Davitt Road in Drimnagh available to drivers.

Several members of the public called for a ban on horse drawn carriages on animal welfare grounds, while one said the dung catchers were “humiliating, degrading and downright cruel”.

Following a year long battle with the National Park and Wildlife Services jarvey drivers in Killarney last May lost their High Court challenge to a ban on driving through Killarney National Park without dung catchers.

Last month’s bylaws extend the ban to Killarney town. The city council’s traffic committee will vote on the Dublin bylaws tomorrow, before they are submitted to a full meeting of the council next month.