City considers passing bylaws to control rickshaws

The first steps have been taken towards the possible introduction of bylaws to regulate rickshaws in Cork City.

The city’s legal department is examining a range of complex legal and practical issues ahead of drafting a report on the proposal.

It follows several calls from councillors, as well as taxi drivers, for a crackdown on the operators of rickshaws on Leeside.

The Cork branch of the Irish Taxi Council said its members didn’t complain when a handful of rickshaws first appeared on the streets of Cork a few months ago, and when the operations were confined to the city centre island.

However, the spokesman for the taxi group, Robert Lynch, said there are now up to 30 rickshaws operating in the city which often secure fares as far out as Blackpool on the city’s northside, Blackrock in the east, and Victoria Cross in the western suburbs.

Suggesting the operators of the non-motorised vehicles are now in direct competition with some of his members, he said the rickshaws need to be subjected to the same regulation as other passenger transport vehicles.

Cllr Kenneth O’Flynn (FF) raised the issue again at last week’s city council meeting and called on city manager Tim Lucey to act.

He said the council must introduce non-motorised passenger transport bylaws to control the vehicles. He said the bylaws should:

* deal with the issue of licensing the operators of rickshaws;

* control the number of licences;

* set a schedule of fares;

* determine the numbers of passengers who can be carried;

* designate hiring stands;

* and control the areas where and, the times, when rickshaws can operate.

But he said a range of liability and insurance issues also need to be examined.

A report on the issue was presented to councillors which said the introduction of non-motorised passenger transport byelaws for the use of rickshaw cycles or other forms of non-motorised passenger transporters is being considered.

However, it said there are several issues which need to be addressed before a decision can be taken to implement the bylaws.

The report said a method needs to be devised to approve or vet the operators of such vehicles, how the vehicles will be assessed and approved for road worthiness, how the bylaws will be implemented and enforced, and the cost to the council of introducing such laws.

“Liability and possible litigation issues require to be assessed to protect against long-term claims against the city council,” the report stated.

The council’s law department is now investigating and will prepare a detailed report for council, outlining a range of options.