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Garda hands tied over disposal of illegal city vehicles
Galway Bay fm newsroom – Gardaí have admitted that their hands are tied in relation to seizing rickshaws which are illegally in use in the city.
The City Council introduced bye-laws earlier this year, prohibiting the use of the vehicles in the city.
Councillors felt rickshaws were a safety hazard and were also concerned about insurance liabilities.
However at a meeting of the Joint Policing Committee, Chief Superintendent Tom Curley said that bye-law covers the banning of rickshaws being driven in the city, but not the actual disposal of them.
Councillor Frank Fahey said there are one or two rickshaws still operating illegally in the city and are ‘an accident waiting to happen.’
Chief Superintendent Curley said Gardaí can stop rickshaw operators and issue a summons, but they cannot take the vehicle.
He said a bye-law would also have to be introduced to allow Gardaí seize rickshaws, otherwise if they tried to take them, he made an example that they could end up with a bill ‘for 10 thousand euro for loss of earnings’.
He said Gardaí are liasing with the City Council in an effort to address the situation.