Councillors have called for a ban on rickshaws following the death of a young mother in an incident in Dublin city centre.<\/p>\n
Danielle O\u2019Keane (37) from Saval, Newry, Co Down, was seriously injured when she was struck by a car after falling from the rickshaw in which she was travelling on Saturday, September 26th. The mother of two was returning from a Westlife concert in the 3Arena with friends when the incident happened on North Wall Quay.<\/p>\n
Her sister-in-law Aisling O\u2019Keane told Newstalk last week that doctors said she had suffered a \u201clife-ending brain injury\u201d.<\/p>\n
She was brought by ambulance to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital for treatment but died five days later.<\/p>\n
\u201cDanielle doesn\u2019t go out, so this was a rare occasion for her to try to go out and let her hair down\u201d, he sister in-law said, adding that Danielle and her friends wore matching Westlife T-shirts to the concert.<\/p>\n
Danielle\u2019s children are aged two and five.<\/p>\n
Fine Gael councillor Danny Byrne told both Newstalk Breakfast and RT\u00c9 radio\u2019s Today show with David McCullagh that the regulation of rickshaws was necessary to prevent further deaths. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone getting on a rickshaw around Dublin would have a legitimate expectation that that would be a safe mode of transport. I do not believe it\u2019s a safe mode of transport,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s legislation sitting there for almost 10 years that was supposed to regulate rickshaws, and it hasn\u2019t been commenced. So, I\u2019m calling on the Government to immediately commence that legislation.\u201d <\/p>\n
All motorised rickshaws need to be licensed and insured like cars and motorbikes, he added.<\/p>\n
When asked whether these extra costs could put some rickshaw drivers out of business, Byrne said he did not care. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo be honest, their costs are not my concern. My concerns are the safety of the citizens of Dublin,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n