Contacting Gardai to enforce parking laws in cycle lanes

Ray Palmer · 04-12-2019 5:10pm #1

Is there a way to fund out which Gardai station is covering a particular road and park enforcement? After that is there a way to get them to actually enforce the law?

One particular route I use once a week always has cars parked in the cycle lane which is a continuous white line. It is the same cars every week so I take it they aren't getting tickets regularly if ever.

zell12 · 04-12-2019 5:30pm

Call the nearest garda station and ask.
It's at the garda's discretion to enforce.

You can write to the Supt in the local station and highlight same.
You can also contact councillors to bring it up at your Council's Joint Policing Committee meeting.
A commitment was given in the 2019 Garda Roads Policing Plan to enforce cycle lane parking.:rolleyes:

Eamonnator · 04-12-2019 6:21pm

zell12 wrote: »

Call the nearest garda station and ask.
It's at the garda's discretion to enforce.

You can write to the Supt in the local station and highlight same.
You can also contact councillors to bring it up at your Council's Joint Policing Committee meeting.
A commitment was given in the 2019 Garda Roads Policing Plan to enforce cycle lane parking.:rolleyes:

And if you believe that, I'll tell you the one about Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Ray Palmer · 04-12-2019 6:31pm

zell12 wrote: »

Call the nearest garda station and ask.
It's at the garda's discretion to enforce.

You can write to the Supt in the local station and highlight same.
You can also contact councillors to bring it up at your Council's Joint Policing Committee meeting.
A commitment was given in the 2019 Garda Roads Policing Plan to enforce cycle lane parking.:rolleyes:

There are 3 stations that could be involved when I asked before all 3 named a different station but it certainly wasn't them.

zell12 · 04-12-2019 7:18pm

Map of districts Cso or GIS

zell12 · 04-12-2019 7:23pm

Eamonnator wrote: »

And if you believe that, I'll tell you the one about Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Well

I am further informed that An Garda Síochána’s Roads Policing Operations Plan for 2019 was developed with a particular road safety focus on the vulnerable road user categories of motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, learner-permit holders and pedestrians. To ensure safety on our roads, all road users must comply fully with relevant road traffic legislation. An Garda Síochána are committed to educating all road users in their attitudes and behaviour, and when necessary detecting and intercepting dangerous drivers, or those who refuse to comply with road traffic laws; including the enforcement of cycle track access for cyclists during designated hours. https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2019-09-24a.516

Eamonnator · 04-12-2019 8:03pm

^^^^^^
A modern fairytale.

steve-o · 04-12-2019 10:12pm

If the area is in Dublin City, I have found DCC parking enforcement to be very responsive - parkingenforcement@dublincity.ie

AndrewJRenko · 04-12-2019 10:48pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

After that is there a way to get them to actually enforce the law?

Effectively impossible in my experience. You can chase the Gardai, you can contact the Road Policing Unit, you can contact local Councillors, you can contact the businesses that the drivers are visiting, you can contact the clampers if you're in Dublin, and they might come out about 2-4 hours later.

droidus · 05-12-2019 1:13am

I spent about a year trying to get someone to stop people parking at the bus stops outside the Gaelscoil on Parnell sq east and holding up hundreds of people at rush hour. Short answer was nobody cared except the school and Dublin bus they couldn't do anything about it.

Pinch Flat · 05-12-2019 9:04am

Had the same at Loretto on the green. Sometimes triple parking there - one in the parking pace, one in the bike lane and one outside that again. Ther could be a line of 6 - 10 cars parked in the bike lane? Eleven when there were spaces free. Lot handier you just put the car on the indicators and abandon it.

When a girl got clipped by a car when overtaking this in front of me a few years ago, I got onto the school, DCC and the gardai. The guard I was swapping emails with pretty much admitted it was unenforceable. Still goes on to this day. No punishment, no sanction, no change.

zell12 · 05-12-2019 9:58am

Maybe they be reading boards.ie :pac:https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/1202500283714146304?s=20

LeinsterDub · 05-12-2019 10:07am

Don't waste your time, they don't care

Type 17 · 05-12-2019 9:38pm

droidus wrote: »

I spent about a year trying to get someone to stop people parking at the bus stops outside the Gaelscoil on Parnell sq east and holding up hundreds of people at rush hour. Short answer was nobody cared except the school and Dublin bus they couldn't do anything about it.

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Had the same at Loretto on the green. Sometimes triple parking there - one in the parking pace, one in the bike lane and one outside that again. Ther could be a line of 6 - 10 cars parked in the bike lane? Eleven when there were spaces free. Lot handier you just put the car on the indicators and abandon it.

When a girl got clipped by a car when overtaking this in front of me a few years ago, I got onto the school, DCC and the gardai. The guard I was swapping emails with pretty much admitted it was unenforceable. Still goes on to this day. No punishment, no sanction, no change.

Ireland in a nutshell... :rolleyes:

(Yes, it's a great place in many ways, but this kind of stuff is endemic)

Always Tired · 05-12-2019 9:42pm

Theyll do fookin nuttin.

AndrewJRenko · 05-12-2019 9:53pm

zell12 wrote: »

Maybe they be reading boards.ie :pac:https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/1202500283714146304?s=20

It's not a huge leap to assume that this is indeed some degree of response to the fair old battering that AGS has got on Twitter over recent months.

Wishbone Ash · 05-12-2019 9:55pm

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Had the same at Loretto on the green. Sometimes triple parking there - one in the parking pace, one in the bike lane and one outside that again. Ther could be a line of 6 - 10 cars parked in the bike lane? Eleven when there were spaces free. Lot handier you just put the car on the indicators and abandon it.

When a girl got clipped by a car when overtaking this in front of me a few years ago, I got onto the school, DCC and the gardai. The guard I was swapping emails with pretty much admitted it was unenforceable. Still goes on to this day. No punishment, no sanction, no change.

My daughter attends that school and Mrs WA is on the Management Committee. The issue of illegal parking is regularly discussed and all parents have been notified about it several times. There is only so much the school can do as it's not their property. The Gardai do occasional token enforcement when pressurised but as soon as they go, it's back to square one again.

Heebie · 05-12-2019 10:56pm

zell12 wrote:

You can write to the Supt in the local station and highlight same. You can also contact councillors to bring it up at your Council's Joint Policing Committee meeting.

If you do this, have photos and/or video to show them, preferably including number plates.

zell12 · 05-12-2019 11:21pm

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

It's not a huge leap to assume that this is indeed some degree of response to the fair old battering that AGS has got on Twitter over recent months.

Agree. The terms 'parked illegally' and 'vulnerable road users' is a giveaway imo

Atlantic Dawn · 05-12-2019 11:24pm

Always check what's on the tax disc before reporting it as 'illegally parked', otherwise you would be completely wasting your time :pac:

Effects · 06-12-2019 10:23am

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Always check what's on the tax disc before reporting it as 'illegally parked'

I reported a car with tax disc 24 months out of date, no insurance, no NCT and the Gardai don't bother doing anything.

I've a neighbour who has been banned from driving, so clearly won't have insurance, who still drives everywhere, most of the time she's drunk.
The Gardai say they'd have to catch her in the act. Just not bothered with her either.

is_that_so · 06-12-2019 10:29am

There's a daily external abuse of footpaths at DART stations, Portmarnock is notorious. I think cycle lanes and the new cycling law is in the same boat, indifference to it unless someone is seen to be flouting it and the Garda are in the mood to do something. If they can barely be bother to nail cars in bus lanes, not a hope on cycle lanes

AndrewJRenko · 06-12-2019 10:57am

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Always check what's on the tax disc before reporting it as 'illegally parked', otherwise you would be completely wasting your time :pac:

Why?

Effects wrote: »

I've a neighbour who has been banned from driving, so clearly won't have insurance, who still drives everywhere, most of the time she's drunk.
The Gardai say they'd have to catch her in the act. Just not bothered with her either.

I wonder what happens if you have video evidence of her driving?

Always Tired wrote: »

Theyll do fookin nuttin.

Effects wrote: »

I reported a car with tax disc 24 months out of date, no insurance, no NCT and the Gardai don't bother doing anything.

is_that_so wrote: »

indifference to it unless someone is seen to be flouting it and the Garda are in the mood to do something. If they can barely be bother to nail cars in bus lanes, not a hope on cycle lanes

Relax the cacks, lads. They're on the case.

https://twitter.com/dlrcc/status/1202598679661731840

Lucifer · 06-12-2019 11:04am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ

X111111111111 · 06-12-2019 11:06am

I called the Gardai a few months ago about a drunk driver who had crashed into two cars in our estate (he was still in the car driving around at time of call). They told me straight out they didnt have the manpower to send a car at that time. Didn't ask me for the reg and didn't say they'd send someone out when they could.

Last week a neighbours house was broken into whilst they lay asleep upstairs. They woke up to find 2 laptops and the family car gone They rang the Gardai who sent someone out at 4pm that day more than 10 hrs after the call was made.

If they can't be bothered with this stuff what difference do you think a call about a car in a cycle lane is going to make?

X111111111111 · 06-12-2019 11:30am

Lucifer wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ

What an unbelievable bellend. Does cyclists like myself no favours.

Seth Brundle · 06-12-2019 12:02pm

Eamonnator wrote: »

^^^^^^
A modern fairytale.

...but one without a "happy ever after" ending

Wishbone Ash · 07-12-2019 12:36pm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Always check what's on the tax disc before reporting it as 'illegally parked', otherwise you would be completely wasting your time :pac:

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Why?......

I think he/she means it may be a Garda/state vehicle. In such vehicles, there will be a 'normal' tax disc but it will show €0.00.

AndrewJRenko · 07-12-2019 12:51pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

I think he/she means it may be a Garda/state vehicle. In such vehicles, there will be a 'normal' tax disc but it will show €0.00.

Good to know, thanks.

Seth Brundle · 12-12-2019 4:06pm

While our force relies on people spending money on physical media to hand over digital recordings as evidence, West Midlands Police show how easily it can be done if there is the will to do so...

https://twitter.com/WMPTIU/status/1205101051289968641

Weepsie · 12-12-2019 8:19pm

Thing is they don't need physical media when it suits. They're happy to receive dashcam footage when requested

AndrewJRenko · 12-12-2019 8:31pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

While our force relies on people spending money on physical media to hand over digital recordings as evidence, West Midlands Police show how easily it can be done if there is the will to do so...

While I applaud the principle, I'm not sure that a vendor-owned platform is an appropriate place for allegations of a crime.

Weepsie wrote: »

Thing is they don't need physical media when it suits. They're happy to receive dashcam footage when requested

I've had mixed responses about what media to use, depending on the Garda involved. I sent one a link to a copy of the video on Google Drive, and she said downloaded it from there. I sent one a very short low-res copy by email, and he definitely got the email and replied. I've given some copies on CD or DVD. I've given some on USB, and one told me recently he'd have to download from USB to disk, 'but we're a bit short on disks around here'. I've had Gardai tell me they were using their own personal laptops to view footage or phones as they didn't have a work device.

zell12 · 26-12-2019 3:24am

DCC pilot project will see cameras installed to detect drivers parked or driving in bus and cycle lanes

to be introduced in the first half of 2020 will see selected routes installed with cameras which automatically capture a vehicle’s registration in order to issue a fine. If successful, it could be used as a model for Government to roll it out nationwide.

Kaisr Sose · 26-12-2019 2:24pm

Weepsie wrote: »

Thing is they don't need physical media when it suits. They're happy to receive dashcam footage when requested

And they will (when it suits them) say that dash cam is not evidence and look for a written statement to confirm what is on same cam footage. Modern policing 101!

Macy0161 · 27-12-2019 11:19am

zell12 wrote: »

DCC pilot project will see cameras installed to detect drivers parked or driving in bus and cycle lanes

Not before time, but i'm already seeing bleating about it being a money making racket! :rolleyes:

Pinch Flat · 27-12-2019 11:48am

Macy0161 wrote: »

Not before time, but i'm already seeing bleating about it being a money making racket! :rolleyes:

Ssssh dont tell any motorists, but an easy way to avoid this money making racket is to avoid driving in the bus lane. Simple.

Macy0161 · 27-12-2019 11:57am

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Ssssh dont tell any motorists, but an easy way to avoid this money making racket is to avoid driving in the bus lane. Simple.

Same as speeding, but it's just shooting fish in a barrel, Joe.

uck51js9zml2yt · 27-12-2019 11:59am

In Westland row the biggest offenders are AGS at the centra.
Who do you call there??

saabsaab · 27-12-2019 1:09pm

Would you or your family have a relation or friend in the AGS or traffic wardens(9many families have) they could act for you on this?

Lewotsil · 02-01-2020 4:41pm

Weepsie wrote: »

Thing is they don't need physical media when it suits. They're happy to receive dashcam footage when requested

Happy even to request it........ attitude of Gardaí to parking in cycle lanes is disgraceful.

ED E · 02-01-2020 6:50pm

zell12 wrote: »

DCC pilot project will see cameras installed to detect drivers parked or driving in bus and cycle lanes

DCC already pay DSPS millions to enforce the road traffic and parking acts then they do diddly squat other than light meter enforcement.

This will be another massive expenditure for low results. Like the red light cameras they switched off.

Dublin City Council are f#ckin knobheads on cushy pensions.

AndrewJRenko · 02-01-2020 9:51pm

Leandro Quick Vine wrote: »

In Westland row the biggest offenders are AGS at the centra.
Who do you call there??

You call IBikeDublin;

https://twitter.com/IBikeAlerts/status/1212782977979240449

markpb · 02-01-2020 10:16pm

ED E wrote: »

DCC already pay DSPS millions to enforce the road traffic and parking acts then they do diddly squat other than light meter enforcement.

The contact for DSPS expired recently. The previous operator retained the contract but apparently the terms have changed significantly. Previously, they were obliged to spend most of their effort on paid-parting enforcement and most of that in the city centre. The new contract obliges them to enforce a broader range of parking offences across the entire DCC area. It will be interesting to see how it works out in reality.

robinph · 02-01-2020 10:18pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

My daughter attends that school and Mrs WA is on the Management Committee. The issue of illegal parking is regularly discussed and all parents have been notified about it several times. There is only so much the school can do as it's not their property. The Gardai do occasional token enforcement when pressurised but as soon as they go, it's back to square one again.

If it's the school kids being dropped off then surely the school can identify the parents responsible and write to them with a threat of detention for the kids or some such. That will then result in the parents getting all worked up about it and self identifying as the ones parking illegally as they then phone up a radio show in disgust where you then have someone tell them what idiots they are and some road safety bod give them a stern talking to.

Meanwhile the kids get scared about getting detentions or docked marks or something and make sure the parents drop them off legally.

School would never even need to go through with the threat. Would be entertaining to see it happen in the media if nothing else.

AndrewJRenko · 02-01-2020 10:50pm

robinph wrote: »

If it's the school kids being dropped off then surely the school can identify the parents responsible and write to them with a threat of detention for the kids or some such. That will then result in the parents getting all worked up about it and self identifying as the ones parking illegally as they then phone up a radio show in disgust where you then have someone tell them what idiots they are and some road safety bod give them a stern talking to.

Meanwhile the kids get scared about getting detentions or docked marks or something and make sure the parents drop them off legally.

School would never even need to go through with the threat. Would be entertaining to see it happen in the media if nothing else.

Entertaining indeed, but it would not be on to punish kids for the sins of their parents.

markpb · 03-01-2020 1:02pm

robinph wrote: »

If it's the school kids being dropped off then surely the school can identify the parents responsible and write to them with a threat of detention for the kids or some such.

It's worth remember that it's a private, fee-paying school. The children.parents you're talking about are the schools customers. Also it's not the schools problem. It's not really causing them any issue at all. Combine these two things and you can see why their efforts at stopping it are half-hearted.

Ready4Boarding · 03-01-2020 1:06pm

markpb wrote: »

It's worth remember that it's a private, fee-paying school. The children.parents you're talking about are the schools customers. Also it's not the schools problem. It's not really causing them any issue at all. Combine these two things and you can see why their efforts at stopping it are half-hearted.

Private schools have always been concerned about reputational damage. Mine sent teachers, after school, down to the nearby Dart station to tackle rowdy behaviour.

Wishbone Ash · 03-01-2020 2:18pm

robinph wrote: »

If it's the school kids being dropped off then surely the school can identify the parents responsible and write to them with a threat of detention for the kids or some such.....

Dropping off pupils is a much smaller problem as it generally just a set down and go again. It's the queuing up while waiting to pick up is the main problem.

I'd imagine that the school authorities don't really see traffic policing of a public street as being within their remit. It's probably not really in their interest either as they rely on parents for much of the extra funding via donations etc. in addition to fees.

robinph · 03-01-2020 2:50pm

Ready4Boarding wrote: »

Private schools have always been concerned about reputational damage. Mine sent teachers, after school, down to the nearby Dart station to tackle rowdy behaviour.

Not certain if it is a fee paying school or not, but one around my area has recently got in the local press due to the teachers blocking kids from entering the shops and take aways along the walk home which has resulted in the shops getting upset about their takings, and that teachers are blocking their doors to other people as well during school home time.

Schools certainly do take an interest in what goes on in their area. Admittedly my idea was daft, but the school can certainly do more to prevent kids getting run over outside their gates.

They could just block the road themselves for a couple of days with some staff in high viz and clipboards writing down reg numbers and taking photos. They could be more proactive in making the changes happen if they wanted.

Wishbone Ash · 03-01-2020 3:16pm

robinph wrote: »

....They could just block the road themselves for a couple of days with some staff in high viz and clipboards writing down reg numbers and taking photos.....

Are you for real? Why on earth would staff do that? Would you expect staff in a hospital to go out and police the roads? What about double parking outside shops - would you expect shop staff to go out? And who would do the teaching while school staff are out doing the work of the Gardai? If my employer asked me to go out and police the roads, I know how I'd respond.

AndrewJRenko · 03-01-2020 3:17pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Dropping off pupils is a much smaller problem as it generally just a set down and go again. It's the queuing up while waiting to pick up is the main problem.

I'd imagine that the school authorities don't really see traffic policing of a public street as being within their remit. It's probably not really in their interest either as they rely on parents for much of the extra funding via donations etc. in addition to fees.

At this particular school, some parents leave the car double-parked on top of the bike lane while walking their little darlings across the road to their classroom. It's a lot more than set-down and go.

I understand there is also vehicular access to the school through Leeson Lane. It looks like this is through the staff car park. The school could provide some kind of set-down access here, though I guess that might be slightly less convenient for the parents.

Contacting Gardai to enforce parking laws in cycle lanes

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