Sulkies on cycle paths a concern

Concerns have been raised by Mahon and Blackrock locals about the presence of sulkies on cycle lanes and pedestrianised routes in the Mahon and Blackrock areas.

It was reported some of the vehicles are being driven by children as young as ten, and that they are causing a danger to traffic and pedestrians.

The concerns were voiced at a meeting of the Mahon/Blackrock Neighbourhood Safety Forum, which was held in Mahon Community Centre on 16 February.

A sulky is a lightweight horse-drawn cart.

One resident said the age of some of the sulky drivers was a serious concern, and it was “only a matter of time” before there was a serious accident.

“There have been incidents where a sulky has shot out in front of traffic, right in front of drivers. There will eventually be a serious accident and someone is going to get hurt,” they said.

They also said they think the fault lies with the parents of the children, rather than with the children themselves.

“If I take my parents’ car keys, I’m not the one who is ultimately responsible. The parents are aware that this is happening,” they said.

Sgt Fergus Twomey, who represented An Garda Síochána at the Forum, said he had not had specific reports of sulkies using cycle lanes in the area, but said he had received complaints of sulkies being driven on the Marina Promenade, which is a pedestrianised area.

He said if sulkies are spotted being driven on cycle lanes, it should be reported immediately to An Garda Síochána.

It is understood there is no lower or upper age limit for the driving of sulkies under the Control of Horses Act, 1996, and there is no requirement for the vehicles to be licensed or insured.

However, horse owners must still possess a licence for the animal under the act.

However, Sgt Twomey said anyone driving a sulky who endangered either pedestrians or other road users was committing an offence under the Road Traffic Acts and could be prosecuted.

Several suggestions were made on how to address the issue, including blocking access to cycle lanes and the Marina Promenade with bollards so that sulkies cannot access the routes.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.