W2C-014 Clare Champion-3.txt
Drink Law Hitting Rural Communities

Rural communities are now prisoners in their homes and are afraid to venture out because of the draconian penalties attached to the Road Traffic Act, said the Vintners'Federation of Ireland when discussing plans to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday next to review the new drink-driving level which has caused a huge drop in trade in many pubs all over the country.

For the second week-end in a row, Clare publicans were hit by the new law and they spoke of bleak times ahead for the rural pub, particularly over the Christmas and New Year periods.

The new drink-driving limit and penalties have sparked off the biggest ever crisis in the VFI, said it's president Michael Moloney of Ruan, who forecast that many pubs will close and thousand of jobs will be lost over the tougher drink driving regulations. Publicans and members of the public were expressing fear, anger and frustration.

The VFI, which represents 6,000 pub owners outside of Dublin, has not been sitting back and has highlighted the implications of the new restrictions over the past number of months, said Mr. Moloney. He added that their warnings, however, were not listened to.

The VFI President described national advertising advising motorists to use Dart and bus services as offensive to people in rural areas who could not avail of such services. He had already made contact with the Bus Eireann operations manager in Dublin to provide extra and later bus services in country areas. He was told, however, that they did not intend providing such services.

"This is disgraceful and the Government should put pressure on them to provide them"," said Mr. Moloney.

He also called on the legislators to reduce the fines for drink-driving offences and said that the new regulations would also be a big blow to tourism as when visitors arrived in country areas they would find no shops, no Garda station, no post office and no pub.

VFI chief executive Tadgh O'Sullivan, also contacted the Ministers for the Environment and Justice this week, expressing their concern. He said there was no public transport in rural Ireland Ð not even taxis or cabs. The national safety council's adverts only served to further annoy the community.

"The fact that a person who has consumed two pints is deemed as guilty, with mandatory penalties, as someone who has consumed 20 pints, is unacceptable"," he said.

He forecast that deaths on the roads will increase over Christmas and said that the new legislation would bring loss of life as well as loss of jobs as they would have people walking and cycling on dark country roads who would be the victims of those speeding, untouched by the law.

He called for action to modify the penalties: give discretion to the courts in place of mandatory penalties: allow a more reasonable approach by gardai (stopping people on the way to work must cease) and provide much needed public transport in rural areas.
