RICKSHAWS TO BE BANNED FROM GALWAY CITY

Date Published: 12-Mar-2013

Galway City Council has voted to ban commercial rickshaws from operating in the city.

The motion put forward by Councillor Michael Crowe was agreed by all 14 city councillors present at last evening's Council meeting.

The ban does not impact on licenced horse-drawn carriages.

Bye-laws to allow rickshaws were initially approved in 2010, on the basis they be reviewed after a year.

Councillor Peter Keane told the meeting these were introduced in good faith, but there are now clear breaches of the bye-laws.

Councillor Padraig Conneely claimed over 20 rickshaws were operating without a licence, while Councillor Nuala Nolan described some of them as a danger 'zig-zaging through the crowd'.

There are currently 20 valid licences for the passenger transporters in the city - all of which expire by June.