Dublin City Council could not give a dam..

jetsonx

RTE’s Prime Time recently aired a piece on the legality of e-scooters (Thurs 4th April).

However, anyone else notice Dublin City Council's statement that they had “no one available for comment” on the e-scooter issue.

Irish taxpayers and businesses in the capital pay this mob millions of Euro in tax and rates. Yet, when our national broadcaster requests one of their representatives to comment on a relevant issue to the city, they couldn't even be @rsed to make a token statement about the issue. This appears shockingly lazy and frankly just sends out the signal they could’nt give a dam. Poor, poor show from Dublin City Council.

Spanish Eyes

Just need to get Keegan out of his bunker and look at the state of the pavements in the City Centre. It really is disgraceful. And that is just such a great look for pedestrians, natives and visitors alike. No excuse.

Apologies, I do realise you are referring to escooters. But still. It has to start with respecting the City. Not happening!

Don't get too riled. It will take a while. They don't really care anyway IMV. The state of the city is unreal. I will leave it there for now.

jetsonx

Thank you for the comment Spanish Eyes.

I totally agree about the state of the pavements. There is no other European city that I've visited which has such manky collection of chewing gum embedded into it's pavements.

Their blatant snub to the Prime Time team, and hence the Irish public team speaks volumes of the laziness of that organisation.

markpb

There could be countless reasons for this. Maybe they didn't have time to make someone available, maybe they don't have a policy position on this right now, maybe they do but they've been told to keep quiet about it because it's a decision for the national government and then the Gardai.

highdef

After reading the subject title, I was expecting a discussion about flood relief and Dublin city council not building a dam or something along those lines. As for the prime time segment being actually discussed, did anyone notice the amount of two wheeled self propelled vehicles that were breaking red lights? The vast majority were doing so.

Spanish Eyes

markpb wrote: »

There could be countless reasons for this. Maybe they didn't have time to make someone available, maybe they don't have a policy position on this right now, maybe they do but they've been told to keep quiet about it because it's a decision for the national government and then the Gardai.

The City Manager i.e. Owen Keegan has the purse strings, he should be making the city enjoyable for everyone. IMO he has not done that yet.

I do realise that the City Councillors bear a lot of blame too. Far too much navel gazing at their own patch and a negative attitude to anything proposed, but that may be politics, still our councillors should look after our city regardless of that.

I was walking around the city today and I was absolutely disgusted at the state of the pavements, and also the tiny opportunity for pedestrians to cross the roads. No sooner has the green guy presented himself, he goes orange. Must be a nod to the Peace Process lol

carltonleon

What’s the issue with escooters?

highdef

carltonleon wrote: »

What’s the issue with escooters?

I don't see much of an issue myself, as long as they are limited to the 25 km/h figure that was being mentioned in the interview. This would make them far slower than a bicycle which means less chance of an accident in built up areas and even if an accident occurs, there should be less chance of injury due to lower velocity.

arybvtcw0eolkf

carltonleon wrote: »

What’s the issue with escooters?

Busybodies who have to have and express an opinion on just about anything.

We've a bloody dire public transport system, traffic is grid lock in most Irish cities, pollution etc.. E-Scooters are a way around those issues, but busybodies would have us believe there'll be hoards of Hells Angels running havoc through our streets on them, so they'll push for regulation & taxes and fuck up a good thing.

Busybodies, that's the real issue.

Spanish Eyes

carltonleon wrote: »

What’s the issue with escooters?

I think it is a perceived problem about propelled vehicles (escooters) being on the public road or something and whether they need to be registered and taxed.

I THINK!

Atlantic Dawn

It's a Garda issue surely?

Seth Brundle

carltonleon wrote: »

What’s the issue with escooters?

Seemingly they're technically mechanically propelled vehicles so subject to motor tax and insurance.
This is not in the control of DCC anyhow.

Amirani

Harold Big Stagehand wrote: »

Busybodies who have to have and express an opinion on just about anything.

We've a bloody dire public transport system, traffic is grid lock in most Irish cities, pollution etc.. E-Scooters are a way around those issues, but busybodies would have us believe there'll be hoards of Hells Angels running havoc through our streets on them, so they'll push for regulation & taxes and fuck up a good thing.

Busybodies, that's the real issue.

You could say this about any law.

They should be allowed, but they need to be legislated for. You can't just have people flying around the roads on whatever sort of device they want. Regulations such as the 25 km/hr speed limit, adequate lighting extra should be enacted to enable their use.

Spanish Eyes

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Seemingly they're technically mechanically propelled vehicles so subject to motor tax and insurance.
This is not in the control of DCC anyhow.

Is that different to the propelled bicycles do you know?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Amirani wrote: »

You could say this about any law.

They should be allowed, but they need to be legislated for. You can't just have people flying around the roads on whatever sort of device they want. Regulations such as the 25 km/hr speed limit, adequate lighting extra should be enacted to enable their use.

I can and do regularly cycle my bicycle faster than that, and regularly get overtaken by battery powered bicycles neither of which are regulated. There goes your argument.

Seth Brundle

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Is that different to the propelled bicycles do you know?

I believe so because the propelled bikes are only semi propelled mechanically to my knowledge

amcalester

Harold Big Stagehand wrote: »

I can and do regularly cycle my bicycle faster than that, and regularly get overtaken by battery powered bicycles neither of which are regulated. There goes your argument.

Only pedal assisted e-bikes are road legal, so if they can move without the cyclist pedaling then they’re illegal.

Same with e- scooters only pushing instead of pedaling.

Amirani

Harold Big Stagehand wrote: »

I can and do regularly cycle my bicycle faster than that, and regularly get overtaken by battery powered bicycles neither of which are regulated. There goes your argument.

But bicycles are regulated?

0lddog

Do e- scooter drivers/riders need insurance ? .................... Where is GM228 when needed

On the brightside this has great potential for

xxxxxxxxxx

Donor cards should be compulsory for e-scooterees

spurious

One of them gave me a fright the other day. I thought it was someone standing in the road. From a distance they look like someone just standing there.

stampydmonkey

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

It's a Garda issue surely?

Why?....I know the Guards think the can make the laws but no...they can only enforce the law.

Until escooters are legislated for the Guards can piiiiiiiisss off

Hal3000

Agree. DCC couldn't give a rats. Different issue but the litter in Dublin is awful also. I report it regularly and they do nothing. It's a culture of breast feeding shovels, except now they just sit in the vans...

amcalester

stampydmonkey wrote: »

Why?....I know the Guards think the can make the laws but no...they can only enforce the law.

Until escooters are legislated for the Guards can piiiiiiiisss off

They already are legislated for, the require tax and insurance if used on public roads.

Legislation needs to be updated to remove that requirement.

KevRossi

Electric bikes are pedal assist only. Once you stop pedaling the motor shuts off. They do not function on a throttle basis like a motorcycle or a quad.

Once you hit 25.5 Km/h the motor shuts off too and it's human power only after that, drop below 25.5 and the motor starts again. I have one, all it does is make cycling uphill a lot easier as well as being less effort in starting from standstill. Any decent cyclist on a road bike will go faster than me.

I also sweat less so don't need a full change of clothes when I get to the office.

Result: one more cyclist and one less car/Luas passenger on the move, so more space for other motorists and Luas passengers.

listermint

carltonleon wrote: »

What’s the issue with escooters?

Nothing right now. But in a few years we'll be paying out shed loads on health service for the lazy folks that use them.

Every year we dream up new things to make humans do less and less. Soon we'll all have poor mobility.

sReq | uTeK

Ah yes, Dublin city council...They're pretty dreadful alright but to suggest they have anything to do with scooters is mind blowing.

It's a matter for the GOVERNMENT to discuss legislation and for that to be passed and mandated before it gets near dub city council

Naked Lepper

the taxi drivers will cause uproar since they will inevitably disrupt the transport market & their slice of the pie. I am for them but think legislation is definitely needed - lights and abide by usual traffic laws at minimum.

carltonleon

Jaysus, I’m as well informed now as when I asked. So basically no one knows what the issue is ?? It can’t be speed as I cycle quicker than that, it can’t be noise surely cause they aren’t loud enough, it can’t be pollution cause there is none .. so is it people that are using them are not getting fit walking or that they should not be on paths as too dangerous or are they even allowed on paths does anyone know ??? Honestly, I have no ****in’ idea what the issue is???

rosmoke

Escooters are the best thing ever and currently there are more accidents involving bikes or stupid accidents like that kid that hit a bollard while walking in Blanchardstown and mother was awarded 20k. So not sure why this rant?
They are legislated, need human assistance and they can't go faster than 25km/h. The majority of them including the Xiaomi one struggles at small hills with 12-16km/h, a trained cyclist can go faster than 80km/h on a race bike on straight road, downhill there's a record of 268km/h, bikes and escooters are about the same weight, with a better weight distribution, they are safer than bikes.

So escooters go slower and have better weight distribution, bikes go really fast and are more dangerous and you want someone to pay insurance, mind blowing.

carltonleon

****ing hell, if it was scramblers I would understand the outrage or is there outrage, please someone educate me... scramblers ... dangerous, noisy, pollution..
escooters ... eh none of the above, at least as far as I know...
OP, can you please enlighten me as honestly, I am at a loss to know what this thread is actually about or what the issue is?? Is it just a rant about DCC or is there actually an escooter issue that I am missing??
I am not trying to be flippant but I just don’t know

ekimiam

lots of these issues should be covered in the next transport meeting ON WEDNESDAY 10 APRIL 2019AT 3.00 PM


including sandwich boards and parking enforcement
but I agree with OP

Seth Brundle

carltonleon wrote: »

Jaysus, I’m as well informed now as when I asked. So basically no one knows what the issue is ?? It can’t be speed as I cycle quicker than that, it can’t be noise surely cause they aren’t loud enough, it can’t be pollution cause there is none .. so is it people that are using them are not getting fit walking or that they should not be on paths as too dangerous or are they even allowed on paths does anyone know ??? Honestly, I have no ****in’ idea what the issue is???

Maybe re-read the thread as I have already told you what the issue with them is.

carltonleon

Seth Brundle wrote: »

Maybe re-read the thread as I have already told you what the issue with them is.

I know what you said but the OP was talking about DCC which you have rightly stated is not in their remit. So you think that the issue that the OP is talking about basically boils down to the fact that a cohort of people are not paying tax on a propelled vehicle, so it is a fiscal issue. I doubt any insurance company offers insurance on escooters yet or is there any evidence to suggest that there is a requirement for same, has there been many escooter accidents?

Seth Brundle

Firstly i answwred your queation.
As for DCC, whilst they collect motor tax, the leglation itself is decided by the government and enforced by the gardai (and the few remaining traffic wardens).
What is in the legislation has nothing to do with DCC! RTE aaking them to come on Prime Time was a fairly pointless exercise.

As for whether they've been involved in an incident, what has that got to do with the fact that it is mandatory to hold insurance.

carltonleon

No you answered what you think the OP was referring to and it might well be.
Is it mandatory to have insurance for an escooter?

amcalester

carltonleon wrote: »

No you answered what you think the OP was referring to and it might well be.
Is it mandatory to have insurance for an escooter?

If it can be started without the user pushing off they do require insurance and tax if used on the roads.

RayCun

rosmoke wrote: »

They are legislated, need human assistance

They are not legislated for, because they don't need human assistance.
They need a push to start, but after that will go until the battery runs out. That puts them in the same category as a kick-started motorbike (or a car that needs a push start!), not a pedelec where the motor stops when you stop pedalling.

From a safety point of view, I wouldn't like to hit a pothole at 25km/h on something with wheels that small, and they need lights.

cgcsb

DCC no longer are interested in their remit. They'd rather pass motions in support of Palestine and stuff that they generally have no mandate for, while the place crumbles. They won't even invest in decent paving for the premier shopping street, the public realm is about the same standard as you would see in Turkey.

Seth Brundle

cgcsb wrote: »

DCC no longer are interested in their remit.

When it comes to escooters, what remit do you think DCC have?

cgcsb

Seth Brundle wrote: »

When it comes to escooters, what remit do you think DCC have?

oh none, it was a general comment about the state of affairs.

neris

cgcsb wrote: »

DCC no longer are interested in their remit. They'd rather pass motions in support of Palestine and stuff that they generally have no mandate for, while the place crumbles. They won't even invest in decent paving for the premier shopping street, the public realm is about the same standard as you would see in Turkey.

They also demand hassle and threaten small businesses in the city who pay rates

Seth Brundle

neris wrote: »

They also demand hassle and threaten small businesses in the city who pay rates

They demand hassle? Or had you meant to include a comma there?

As for the suggestion of them being menacing, they don't just decide to challenge a small business without a reason.

hurler32

Those at a middle to higher level in many of these civil service roles are more bothered about how they spend their 100K plus salary and looking out for holiday specials - Flight sales than doing any work .
This all has to be funded by tax payer and rates so businesses better up their game to fund these civil servants lifestyles

neris

Seth Brundle wrote: »

They demand hassle? Or had you meant to include a comma there?

As for the suggestion of them being menacing, they don't just decide to challenge a small business without a reason.

and youve had personal experience of dealing with them as a business owner?

abcabc123123

Serious amount of bull**** being spewn about DCC in here in fairness.

e-scooters are currently being assessed by the RSA and then it'll be up to the Dáil to legislate. Policing them at the moment is the Gards job.

BTW if you feel DCC hassle businesses, you'll be delighted to hear that they are going to be introducing a licensing system for a-boards shortly. Businesses who want to have an advertising board on the street outside their business will need to get a license, which apparently will be difficult and quite pricey to get.

Seth Brundle

neris wrote: »

and youve had personal experience of dealing with them as a business owner?

How is that relevant to the question that I asked you?
Do please tell us how your business has been subject to "demand hassle and threaten" by DCC?

neris

Seth Brundle wrote: »

How is that relevant to the question that I asked you?
Do please tell us how your business has been subject to "demand hassle and threaten" by DCC?

you made a statement and ive asked you to back it up with your experience.

Seth Brundle

Oh FFS :rolleyes:
So I've to back up a suggestion that you're claim regarding bullying and harassment was nonsense but you don't have to back up your original nonsense?

Cienciano

I can't see a problem with e-scooters, I know a couple of people who use them. But of course all we need is Nula, Mary and Bridget who are afraid of anything new or different to ring up Joe fúcking Duffy and hey presto, thousands of people that have found a solution to make their commute easier will have their mode of transport banned.

Gavin "shels"

Supposedly 4 e-scooters confiscated by the Guards in the Dublin 8 area for having no insurance (mentioned on FM104 news this morning).