Latest news with #BloodBike
The Journal
02-08-2025
- Health
- The Journal
Government looking to allow Blood Bike volunteers to use bus lanes
BLOOD BIKE VOLUNTEERS could be allowed to use bus lanes under new measures understood to be under consideration by government. Blood Bikes assists the health service by transporting essential goods such as blood, samples for testing and even transplant-related tissue to where they need to go. Earlier this month, Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh tabled an amendment to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill seeking to allow Blood Bike drivers use bus lanes and exempt them from toll fees. At the time, Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien said: 'I am open to meeting with Blood Bikes. This is something we are actively considering, and I would welcome the opportunity to hear their submission directly.' Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien meeting with Blood Bike volunteers recently. @DarraghOBrienTD @DarraghOBrienTD The minister also met with the volunteers. Advertisement The Journal now understands that the minister is now looking at options to allow such a measure. Bus lane use like ambulances While it is understood to be a while off yet, if such a measure were to be introduced it would give the volunteers, who provide an important service, the same right of way as hospital ambulances. Ó Snodaigh told the minister that Blood Bikes save lives and operates on a 100% voluntary basis. It has nearly 140 volunteers, all of whom have been Garda-vetted and who also have Tusla Children First training, good distribution handling certificates from PLS Pharma, and the highest civilian training for motorcyclists, he added. Blood Bikes East supports 26 hospitals and nursing homes across the greater Dublin area and links in with the regional blood bike groups in a developing national network. The organisation handles 6,000 calls annually. In speaking about his proposed legislation, the Sinn Féin TD said the bikes also collect donated breast milk and deliver it to maternity and children's hospitals, and collect blood samples from the homes of children with leukemia. 'That means sick children are not exposed to dangerous environments and parents are relieved of additional stress and time burdens. I applaud them. They fund all of this work through bucket collections, donations and sponsorship. 'I salute those who help and sponsor them, including Easytrip, which waives the tolls for blood bikes, ambulances and motorbikes. It should not, however, be up to voluntary groups and private companies to negotiate exemptions for tolls or the use of bus lanes. It should be the law of the land,' he said. The volunteers driving the Blood Bikes give their free time and are not paid for providing their service. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
15-07-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Calls for Blood Bikes to be given access to bus lanes
Blood Bike volunteers are calling for the ability to use bus lanes and be exempted from road tolls under a new bill that will be debated in the Dáil. Blood Bikes assist the health service by transporting essential goods for patients, often while the patient is in the operating theatre. Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh tabled an amendment to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill that would extend exemptions from road tolls and the right to use bus lanes, which currently apply to ambulances, to also cover Blood Bike services. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Blood Bike volunteer, Michael Noonan, said that the current legislation slows down their work. "As it stands, gardaí have increased their high-profile policing, and they've doubled their fines in the last year on the use of bus lanes," he said. "While our vehicles are marked, and gardaí are quite good with us in that regard, we use vehicles for palliative care which are unmarked and that just creates delays and complications." Mr Noonan said Blood Bikes transport medication, scans and medical equipment. "An ambulance will transfer a patient, anything to do with that patient could be transferred by a bike. "It could be their scans, it could be their medication, it could be any form of critical information required, it could be medical equipment," he added. "We often move stuff where people could be in theatre, and they discover that they're short something and may be required to be got from another hospital." Mr Noonan described the work of Blood Bike volunteers as an "insurance policy for the HSE". "When a critical call comes in, we can react instantly to their calls and get what they want, and what we do is actually quite incredible and unknown." The Department of Transport said that it does not support the request for blood bikes to be given permission to use bus lanes. In a statement, the Department claimed that any addition to the categories of vehicles permitted to use the lanes would inevitably reduce their efficiency for performing their original purpose. However, Mr Noonan said that there are only six Blood Bike volunteers on duty a day in Dublin and argued that allowing for them to use bus lanes would "have no effect at all". "There are six vehicles moving around that could lose their license within half an hour, so the bottom line is very simple: the level of vehicles that are required is minimal," he said. Mr Noonan added: "300,000 a day go across the M50, so from that point of view, it would have no effect whatsoever; the bike doesn't hold up traffic in a bus lane, they're quite discrete."
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Yahoo
Blood biker died in crash with van on Pembrokeshire A-road, inquest hears
A coroner has heard how a retired Blood Bikes Wales volunteer lost his life following a collision between his Honda motorbike and a Volkswagen Crafter van. Timothy Minett, known as Tim, was riding his motorbike on the A478 between Glandy Cross and Blaenffos on July 2. Emergency services were called to reports of a collision between the red Honda motorbike and the oncoming white Volkswagen Crafter at 6.23pm on Wednesday, July 2. 78-year-old Mr Minett was declared deceased by paramedics at the scene at 7.29pm. HM Coroner for Pembrokeshire, Paul Bennett, heard that Mr Minett was born in London. He was married and retired and lived in Lower Nash, near Pembroke Dock. Mr Minett's inquest was opened this morning (Monday, July 14). Coroner's officer PC Carrie Sheridan said that a post-mortem had been carried out at West Wales General Hospital, the results of which were pending. She added that a full police investigation into the collision was currently being carried out. The coroner adjourned the inquest to November this year. It is understood Mr Minett was delivering urgent blood bike supplies when the collision occurred. Blood Bike groups throughout the country paid tribute to Mr Minett, thanking him for his service and sending heartfelt condolences to his family. In a statement last week, Mr Minett's family said: "We are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of a devoted husband, stepfather, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend." Police also appealed for information about the crash and asked anyone who was travelling along the A478 between Glandy Cross and Blaenffos at the time, and may have information or dashcam footage, to contact Dyfed-Powys Police.
