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RICKSHAWS ARE TO be banned from all pedestrianised streets of Galway city from this summer on.
Fianna Fáil Councillor, Michael Crowe, made the proposal to ban the taxi bikes at a Galway City Council meeting on Monday night and it was supported by all 14 councillors present.
Although he was unsure if any accidents were caused by the rickshaws, Crowe told TheJournal.ie that they were “too dangerous” and said he had recieved a number of complaints from local business people about them.
Leszek Majewski, who legally operates 17 rickshaws in Galway city under the company Promocabs, has questioned Crowe’s reason to ban the bikes:
How can someone say they are too dangerous when there has been no accidents involving the rickshaws? Not one accident has occurred in the past seven years.
Crowe said his main concerns were that the bikes “go at high speed, late at night and it’s not suitable for the area… Galway has medieval streets and they are too narrow for the wide bikes”.
Majewski told TheJournal.ie there were too many rickshaws in operation on a Friday and Saturday night in Galway city and put part of the blame for the ban on illegal taxi bike operators.
“There are too many rickshaws on the streets. There are around 40 at the weekend and there are only 20 licences. There are too many people operating them illegally and this was a huge problem. The council should have tackled this instead of banning them.”
The bike cabs will now have to use the roads around the city for business but Majewski said that they would lose business doing that and 17 rickshaw drivers could lose their jobs. “Around 80 per cent of our business and profit comes from Shop Street, so it could mean there will be no business for us.”
Crowe denied that his decision was unfair: “My jobs as a councillor is to make decisions that are in the best interests of the city. Not everyone will be happy with those decisions but it’s not about happiness.”
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Fantastic way to destroy a small business. Well done Galway CC
This is a Catholic country you cant have rickshaws gallivanting all over the streets as if it were somewhere out foreign!
How can I get about when im too drunk to walk
Absolutely ludicrous decision. They look great! Hopefully they will revoke it – or be forced to.
Ridiculous decision. Iv never had a problem with them and they can be a handy service.
Shop street is one of the wider streets aswell!
Them Councillers are Fierce Important up there in Galway, you’d Imagine they’d tackle real problems, Like gettin shit out of the water e.t.c.
Keep your heads up rickshaw people, keep working away, I doubt the Council officials will be out doing spot checks at 2 in the morning, when yee are working yer holes off and trying too make an honest bob.
I’m delighted they’re off some streets. If only they could be banned completely. They are so tacky looking and something you would expect to see in Ibiza. They don’t suit Galway. If we lose our character we’re just like any other town.
Galway lost its character a long time ago, Aoife. It’s become a very tacky place.
why not ban cyclists to or 3 wheels cars. Taxi business must be losing out in galway to have this happen
As a Galwegian who actually lives there, it is a stupid ban that will just drive another small business down under and take away some of the culture that enshrines this beautiful city.
Fun should totally be illegal anyway. Come on Fianna Fail. Ban weekends while your at it too, As they are ALSO dangerous.
Wonder how many backhanders he got from actual Taxi drivers to introduce this.
They employ people,eco friendly and fun. Well done Galway .NOT
Hmmm, no accidents in 7 years? Sounds dangerous to me! Sure what’s a few dozen more people on the dole anyway?!
I would have thought they would have been safer in small lanes and also safer for women going about the city. Sounds as if “someone” is annoyed that they did not have a share….or a paper bag.
Best interests of Crowe and his Crowenies more like.
Why ? Small business , a few jobs, My thinks there are other forces at work here. Other interested parties.
I think this is wrong , rickshaws are great to have in city! They are economical and great for getting around on a night out ,especially for us girls in high heels
Poor form Galway. Inexpensive transport and a bit o craic! Will be missed…..
Petty, small minded politicians. They obviously has some niggling dislike of the rickshaws and banned them for any shallow reason they could come up with.
What the hell….the rickshaws are part of Galway. Cultural vampires….
“Whether it’s one job or 50 jobs, I’ll do what I can in the office of Mayor to sell Galway and to deliver what we can to increase employment,” he said.
Mayor Crowe – who says he believes he is the first Mayor of Galway to hail from Bohermore – said developing the city’s public transport infrastructure would be another priority of his.
I’m sure this has nothing to do with it but maybe the taxi drivers are unimpressed with the cycle taxis and are complaining to these councillors about losing money. A licence fee for a taxi used to be paid to the local authority and I’m sure it is a higher value than the licence for a cycle taxi. Someone creates jobs and is being ‘Green’ and officialdom wants to close them down. Maybe someone could tell me as well if a councillor can just bring in a bylaw and have it voted on or do they have to have a public consultation first to get the publics view!
Please ban them from Dublin city. They are lethal idiots cycling across streets or the wrong way without even bother to look. Thankfully I was paying enough attention that I didn’t kill 1 or more of them.
I second that. I see them going down one way streets, they have no lights and passengers are not insured to my knowledge. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets killed.
Typical drivers. Think they own the road.
Am a pedestrian and a cyclist!
Yes. Because pedestrians are so much safer around cars and drivers so much more responsible.
Rickshaw = 7 years with no accidents.
(See above article)
Taxi < 3 months since last accident.
(see link http://irishtaxi.org/forum/index.php?topic=21559 )
Your statement is wrong, utterly unqualified and evidence suggests otherwise.
Local level political corruption stinks. Council has been lobbied by "local business owners" (taxis) to unfairly outlaw competition.
It baffles me that people lack the guile/suspend their disbelief to deny that this is not what it is.
This sort of politics does not even have the sophistication to properly disguise its rottenness.
Even by councillors notoriously low standards this is something of a milestone. Nanny state run by numptys.
Make sure you all remember when these fools call to your door looking for votes.
I hope you slam the doors on their worthless and useless faces.
Health and safety tossiers at it again
No harm, they are a menace on Shop St and Quay St at night, both pedestrian streets. There are plenty of streets that you can drive on that intersect these two streets so there should be no problem touting for business…
Shower of gimps racing each other up and down the street a danger to pedestrians, great news!
It’s only a gimp that would use one anyway. Walk for feck sake!
How Fianna Fail are still involved in political decisions in this country is bewildering to me.
I went to school with Rick Shaws and he is a duche bag so I don’t blame them.
Looks like a case of the vested interests dont like competition,there are a lot in Cork city never heard any problems
taxi probably complained and back handers,,,, think crowe needs to get educated has he never seen them in china and population there and the size of their roads and alleys,,, its a joke,, he cant be serious or he really is losing back handers,,, more for the dole line,,, and does our government care nope ,, they cant get their hands out of our pockets,,,
More bullshit.
I think everyone should get on their bikes and stage a protest about this! These guys never did anyone any harm and they don’t deserve to lose their jobs and Galway doesn’t need to lose what has been a great service because of small minded politicians !
I like this idea, have it starting and finishing outside the county councillors offices
These rickshaws shouldn’t effect taxi business as they are only going within the city. Will be a loss for the city and sad to see another small business go under, i agree with there being too many on the streets but Gardai should carry out mandatory licence checks. Have a feeling this one could be protested against big time.
So who exactly is going to enforce this ban? Mr. Crowe?
Hope this comes to Dublin and soon!!
about time they should be banned from all cities in ireland . dangerous fcking things they are . i see one guy on about licence for them never heard of any .
had a taxi licence myself years ago and cant see how there left work the streets really . insurance do they have any ? do they pay taxes ? anyone hurt from them were do people go ? at least with taxi you can go into garda station with licence number if something goes wrong with a taxi fair
Ahh the good ol county councillors throw their tuppence in again….over paid toss pots with no better ideas than this to justify their salary.
sorry.. make that city councillors… same thing, different title
Perfect environmentally form of transport banned this is actually the form of transport cities should be encouraging not prohibiting.
Killjoys…everyone of them…they add character to the city…shame on you all in Galway City Council…
Down with that sort of thing..careful now!
try enforcing your own rules before banning
Why????? Ffs :-/ Eejits the lot of them!!!
i drive one the bikes and i am sure was no real accident on it seens they are here
Probably the complaints he has had have Been from taxi companies. His friends
Dont know if theyre going to ban them – i dont think that they should, but they should get driving lessons for the riders! Myself and a mate were in one that overturned on friday evening outside the skeffington arms after it hit one of the retractable bollards at speed, en route to Coyote. I suffered a minor head injury and he suffered a serious hand injury.
no crashes in 7 years my ar$e!
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