Dubliners warned rickshaws ‘not regulated’ and ‘an accident waiting to happen’

Dublin City Council (DCC) has issued a safety warning to the public over the use of rickshaws in the city centre.

The council said “rickshaws operating in Dublin city are not regulated” and it warned that “some rickshaw operators appear not to have public liability insurance”.

Currently rickshaws are treated as bicycles under Irish law, and rickshaw drivers are not required to have public liability insurance.

The Department of Transport is considering regulating the vehicles under the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, which would bring in certain standards and requirements for drivers.

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Public consultation

A spokesman for the National Transport Authority said the State "has been making progress" on the issue. He said the authority would launch a public consultation next month seeking submissions on what type of regulations should be put in place for the vehicles. After this, legislation to regulate the rickshaws will be drawn up.

Dublin city councillor Ciarán Cuffe said local politicians had been calling for rickshaws to be regulated for the last three years.

“At the moment it’s like the wild west out there at night,” Mr Cuffe said.

He said he has heard cases of rickshaws driving without lights, driving on paths, and driving the wrong way up one-way streets.

“At the moment it’s an accident waiting to happen,” he said.

Officially registered

Joshua Cantwell, who runs a rickshaw company in Dublin and has 50 vehicles, said he was officially registered with Revenue and has public liability insurance for drivers and passengers.

Mr Cantwell said legislation to regulate the industry is badly needed.

“My business has been destroyed in the last number of years. There’s been a huge increase in drivers and companies operating illegally,” he said.

He said some operators were doing as they please at present. “They don’t have to register as a business. They are paying no tax. There is examples of dangerous driving. It’s cowboy stuff.”