[article]Roadside Car Sales to be Abolished

mike65

from indo

SELLING cars on the roadside is to be banned by the Government because of safety fears.

The sight of 'for sale' signs on cars along the roadside, at junctions and roundabouts has alarmed road safety chiefs.

Transport Minister Martin Cullen announced yesterday that he intends to outlaw the practice of selling a car by the roadside.

The minister has branded the practice a serious road safety hazard because of their location on the roads network.

These cars were also an eyesore, and he has directed officials to amend the existing legislation to ban such sales.

Mr Cullen added he has concerns about the condition of some of these cars and he also wanted to afford buyers of such vehicles more protection.

Sounds pretty lame to be honest.

Mike.

bazz26

Yes the Nanny State is upon us.

unkel

Our Transport Minister has his priorities all screwed up

dahamsta

He has, and the comments are all you could expect from a dumbass like Cullen, but would you not agree that the current rash of wahmobiles spewed around the sides of our roads are becoming somewhat of an eyesore? Free petrol and matches should be the policy though.

adam

mmenarry

Well, what with 36% of fatalities caused by drunk drivers, 17% by excessive speeding, it's obvious that the other 47% are caused by roadside sales. :rolleyes:

M.

ballooba

I'm sure there is existing leglislation that could cover this, along with those "truck billboards" along the M1 and M2.

This is like something from The Simpsons, and people will vote for these jokers again next year.

Tanabe

mike65 wrote:

from indo



Sounds pretty lame to be honest.

Mike.

You beat me to it - I read about this the other day & meant to get round to posting this as a thread & asking the good people for their views on this one.

I myself think it's a load o' boll*x. They made out that it's taking jobs away from the car dealers/garages by people making car sales from a vehicle that has been noticed for sale at the side of the road. So by that rational, the strawberry sellers who sit at the roadside all day every day during the summer selling Wexfords' finest are now going to be made redundant aswell cos' their taking the custom away from Tesco etc, jeeze:rolleyes:

Just another way to screw the soft touch motorists if ya ask me, they can basically bleed you for all you've got once you decide to own a car, even try to prevent you from making a sale on it now aswell.

ciarsd

While I agree with some points being made about 'Nanny State' & our fantastic minister having his list of priorities upside down, I for one would be happy to see this implemented sooner rather than later.

There is a green space just up from the entrance to my estate which has attracted a number of cars for sale. First it was one, then it was two - at one stage it was like a small dealership.

Anyway, my point is, these cars (as a result of being up on the green space) obscured my view of the road ahead when merging onto the main road. They were literally slap, bang - right where I (and every other car owner) needed clear sight to safely execute a right turn onto the main road.

Just My View

Tanabe wrote:

So by that rational, the strawberry sellers who sit at the roadside all day every day during the summer selling Wexfords' finest...

I actually saw an accident as a result of one of these a few summers ago.
I was behind a woman in an SUV who apparently decided at the last minute that she needed strawberries. She swerved off the road, failed to brake in time and subsequently demolished the strawberry stand and frightened the daylights out of the poor seller. Nobody was hurt, just a bit of damage. I'm trying strongly to resist a pun about causing a traffic jam.

jd

Just My View wrote:

I actually saw an accident as a result of one of these a few summers ago.
I was behind a woman in an SUV who apparently decided at the last minute that she needed strawberries. She swerved off the road, failed to brake in time and subsequently demolished the strawberry stand and frightened the daylights out of the poor seller. Nobody was hurt, just a bit of damage. I'm trying strongly to resist a pun about causing a traffic jam.

Those stalls should be banned too- I think there is a derogation in County Wexford for soft fruit sellers in so far as they don't need a casual trading licence./ However they are just too dangerous- I was nearly in an accident on the N25 because of someone pulling out suddenly from a stall..

Tanabe

ciarsd wrote:

While I agree with some points being made about 'Nanny State' & our fantastic minister having his list of priorities upside down, I for one would be happy to see this implemented sooner rather than later.

There is a green space just up from the entrance to my estate which has attracted a number of cars for sale. First it was one, then it was two - at one stage it was like a small dealership.

Anyway, my point is, these cars (as a result of being up on the green space) obscured my view of the road ahead when merging onto the main road. They were literally slap, bang - right where I (and every other car owner) needed clear sight to safely execute a right turn onto the main road.

While I would agree with your point there, you can always get some twat to park their car in your way hence obstructing the view whether their selling a car or not.

Tanabe

Just My View wrote:

I'm trying strongly to resist a pun about causing a traffic jam.

LMAO:D

Tanabe

jd wrote:

I was nearly in an accident on the N25 because of someone pulling out suddenly from a stall..

That sounds to me like they just weren't cautious enough when pulling out onto a main road from the hard shoulder

Gurgle

ballooba wrote:

I'm sure there is existing leglislation that could cover this

If the cars are parked illegally, the owners can be fined.
If they're not, then whats the danger?

But as usual, the DoE has to make a fuss about all the good work its doing to make the roads safer :rolleyes:

furtzy

While I agree that it shouldn't be his top priority it should be stamped out. Theres a guy in Letterkenny who parks his 15 - 20 cars for sale outside the hospital taking up spaces for people visiting. What a knob. Suprised the tyres haven't been slashed

jd

Tanabe wrote:

That sounds to me like they just weren't cautious enough when pulling out onto a main road from the hard shoulder

Sure, but it wouldn't be an issue if there hadn't been a stall at the side of the road. Traffic is moving too quickly on national roads to allow this type of casual trading. |I wouldn't be surprised to see strawberry sellers on the Gorey - Arklow dual carriageway when it opens.

Tanabe

jd wrote:

Sure, but it wouldn't be an issue if there hadn't been a stall at the side of the road. Traffic is moving too quickly on national roads to allow this type of casual trading.

What if they had pulled over to make a call on their mobile phone & then displayed the same lack of observational skills you referred to earlier?

jd

Tanabe wrote:

What if they had pulled over to make a call on their mobile phone & then displayed the same lack of observational skills you referred to earlier?

I don't see what that has to do with anything. The stalls are unnecessary and a hazard on main roads.

subway

how will this affect private sales where the seller puts for-sale stickers on the car?
can they get in trouble every time they park their car?

Tanabe

jd wrote:

I don't see what that has to do with anything. The stalls are unnecessary and a hazard on main roads.

Well in the incident you're referring to this driver happened to be pulling away from a strawberry stall, the point I'm making is they could have just as easily have been making a call & then pulled out in front of you suddenly.

The stalls are there because they have the custom.

Tanabe

subway wrote:

how will this affect private sales where the seller puts for-sale stickers on the car?
can they get in trouble every time they park their car?

Excellent point. (Another one I was also thinking about).

Gurgle

subway wrote:

how will this affect private sales where the seller puts for-sale stickers on the car?
can they get in trouble every time they park their car?

Luckily, between us and the Justice Department(TM) there are the gardai who, despite notable exceptions, generally will apply common sense to most situations and ignore the stupider legislation that comes down from on high.

subway

so it would be a garda only enforceable offence?
not like parking on a double yellow or running out of credit in the parking meter - laws which we all know are enforced with the utmost common sense.

and while i always, always would put my faith in the gardai at all times without exception as they are flawless ...
i still think the legislation just shouldnt be there in the first place

Gurgle

subway wrote:

and while i always, always would put my faith in the gardai at all times without exception as they are flawless ...

Gurgle wrote:

generally

Gurgle wrote:

notable exceptions

subway wrote:

i still think the legislation just shouldnt be there in the first place

I agree completely.

There seems to be nothing we can do to prevent the great steaming pile of ignorance that is Dail Eireann from passing new legislation on the vaguest whim.

sneakyST

Just My View wrote:

I actually saw an accident as a result of one of these a few summers ago.
I was behind a woman in an SUV who apparently decided at the last minute that she needed strawberries. She swerved off the road, failed to brake in time and subsequently demolished the strawberry stand and frightened the daylights out of the poor seller. Nobody was hurt, just a bit of damage. I'm trying strongly to resist a pun about causing a traffic jam.

So are we now blaming strawberries on the fact that the standard of driving in this country is shocking.....whats next "Sorry officer , the pints of beer held me down and jumped into my throat....what could i do?"

Back to the original topic the amount of cars for sale i have seen in the middle of roundabouts in ridiculous, hard shoulders etc. Im sure that cars parked sensibly for sale would be left alone.

MercMad

Whilst I agree something should be done about these traders using public space to advertise freely, and in some cases parking in an inconsiderate way or in an innappropriate location, I think that currently the Gardai have the power to sort that out on a case by case basis !

If they blanket ban this practice, I doubt they will be able to, then they should ban ALL roadside advertising !! No more billboards " A lot done, a lot more to do ! "

subway

the only reason i could see that makes sense for restricting the practice would be to stop unregistered car traders posing as private sellers.

but the government havent said thats why they're doing it so i think people should be allowed sell their car in whatever way they see fit.
existing parking laws should be enough to stop the current practise of parking your car on a footpath or roundabout,
towing or clamping the cars and pasting them non-removable stickers over the for sale sign

gyppo

MercMad wrote:

Whilst I agree something should be done about these traders using public space to advertise freely, and in some cases parking in an inconsiderate way or in an innappropriate location, I think that currently the Gardai have the power to sort that out on a case by case basis !

If they blanket ban this practice, I doubt they will be able to, then they should ban ALL roadside advertising !! No more billboards " A lot done, a lot more to do ! "

Totally agree. I regularly use a junction onto the N6, where sightlines are obstructed by estate agents signs. I mentioned it to the one of the local guards, who agreed with me, and said he would contact the agents.
He obviously did, as the signs were moved the next day.

2 weeks later, another sign, from a different estate agent was placed in the exact same spot - so back to square one again.

Interfering with sightlines is a lot more serious than someone selling a car on the roadside (providing of course, that the car is placed in a position where it would not contribute to an accident).

seamus

Provided that the car is parked legally, I don't see why a person should have to move it. I would have no problem, though about a car being classed as "abandoned" and being towed away if it's left in the same public spot for two weeks or more.

What I would prefer to see are the roadside car dealerships being forced to either pay for parking their vehicles on estate roads (i.e. for stock storage), or being forced to relocate into land not zoned for residential building. There's one particular estate in cherry orchard I cycle through, where the guy has about ten cars parked in a tiny cul-de-sac, running a second-hand car business from his front garden, essentially. His neighbours must be driven mad.

mike65

I wonder if the cops will take action against franchise garages that park cars on verges/hard shoulders outside thier premises? Sheridan Ford in Waterford were very bad a few years ago, the HS was blocked up all day every trading day, whatsmore the garage is right opposite an entrance to the Industrial Park so the HS is important for getting by large vehicles making a right turn off the N25. There's loads more I can think of.

Mike.

Spitfire666

as has ben said already, the fact a car has a sticker in the window shouldnt come into it, i mean, at the end of the day its just a sticker, are they going to ban stickers that advertise for garages or alarm companies being in windows of parked cars? it should come down to being parked legaly or not, nothing else. and as long as a car is taxed, nct'd, displaying reg details and parked legaly they should be allowed park for as long as they want. after all, you pay road tax to use the roads.