A dedicated motocross track in Dublin’s inner city would stop scramblers “antagonising” locals, a local councillor has claimed. 

There have been several reports of people being injured by the bikes in recent years and Social Democrats Councillor Daniel Ennis said locals in the north inner city are increasingly worried about their personal safety.

In the first half of 2024, Gardaí seized 197 e-bikes, quads and scramblers but Cllr Ennis said policing the bikes has proven difficult.

“It’s very hard for Guards to chase the lads when they’re on bikes with no helmets,” he told Josh Crosbie for Newstalk Breakfast. 

“They’re almost now antagonising the Guards, antagonising local residents and it’s a safety issue now - and we don’t seem to have a plan for it.”

People in the NIC do not feel safe.
As a member of this community, I can’t accept this and as a representative I won’t accept it.

Our calls are falling on deaf ears. We can’t let the people who call this place home to be forgotten. We cannot let the lawlessness continue. pic.twitter.com/vQC7QyJkSc

— Cllr. Daniel Ennis (@DanielEnnis2024) August 28, 2024

Scramblers are increasingly used not just on streets in the north inner city but also in local parks - something that Cllr Ennis feels is not appropriate either.  

“It’s crazy and it’s only a matter of time before the weather starts to get bad,” he said. 

“The bikes are on those dry pitches now but when the weather gets bad, the pitches are going to get soggy and the bikes are going to tear them up.” 

Cllr Daniel Ennis said the council is “receptive” to the idea of a dedicated space and he and his colleagues had a productive meeting with Gardaí on the issue last week

“They did agree that we have to back such projects like the youth diversion programmes and the motocross projects,” he said. 

“At the end of the day, over the last 40 years, these problems haven’t changed, so obviously we can’t police our way out of it.

“So, we need, in the short-term, [people] to feel safe again and the police to have a heavier police presence and try to stop this scrambler scourge at source - maybe that’s repossessing the bikes. 

“But medium to long-term, we need to back projects like the football clubs, the sport clubs, the youth clubs that… bring our community together.” 

'Gets them out of the park'

Speaking to locals, Newstalk found mixed views about the idea of a dedicated track. 

“I think so,” one woman said. 

“It kind of gets them out of the park and away from children and people walking their dogs.” 

One local man said he was unsure whether a dedicated track would get scramblers off the streets. 

“I’m not sure but you often see them driving down the road here as well,” he said. 

“So, a lot of the time they’re just kids messing, I don’t know if they’ll actually go to a park. 

“I think they’ll just annoy people.”

Calls for dedicated scramblers tracks are not just confined to Dublin - with a councillor in Limerick suggesting her city should build one as well.

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Main image: A Garda with confiscated scrambler bikes. Picture by: An Garda Síochána.