Limerick city needs a scrambler track to stop young people dangerously using the bikes in city centre parks, according to a local councillor.

It comes after Gardaí launched a new operation in the city aimed at tackling the misuse of the scrambler bikes.

Councillors have raised concerns about anti-social behaviour, as well as the speeds the bikes can reach.

Social Democrats Councillor Elisa O'Donovan told Newstalk Breakfast she is “very concerned” there will be a serious accident in the city before long.

“They are a huge safety concern because I guess they are designed to go at a great speed,” she said.

“I have seen incidences in the People’s Park here in Limerick where they are going at a very, very high speed and people just have to get out of their way.

“I am very concerned that we are going to see accidents. Often the people riding these bikes are very, very young people and they are not wearing safety equipment like helmets and things like that.

“I am very concerned for the safety of the drivers and what might happen there but also, when you are going at speed towards people, there is going to be a risk of a serious injury I think with scrambler bikes and what we are seeing at the moment.”

Scramblers

Cllr O'Donovan said she is contacted “on a weekly basis” by people raising concerns about the bikes in the city centre.

She said some of the newer bikes are electric – which can cause further safety problems.

“Many of them are now electric and they are actually very, very difficult to hear when they are going towards people,” she said.

“We are seeing them more and more in our beautiful People’s Park here in Limerick city along the canal bank and in very, very residential areas.

“It is of great concern to me and to a lot of people living in the city.”

"Safe and controlled"

The Limerick city West Cllr said a Garda project in Moyross offers young people a “safe and controlled environment” to use scramblers – with special classes on bike maintenance, training and safety.

She said a dedicated scrambler track in the city centre could address the problem.

“I think we need dedicated cycle tracks in the city for people to go and to safely use these scrambler bikes and to do something they love,” she said.

“If you enjoy something, you like being part of a club; you like going somewhere with other people who enjoy it.

“We need these spaces. We only have them in one area. People are using the city centre as their scrambling track and it is not appropriate.”

She also called for better enforcement and tougher penalties for scrambler misuse.

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