Man who failed to pay taxi fare was found walking on motorway by Kildare gardaí

A man who got a taxi from Carlow town to Kildare left the vehicle without paying near Kilcullen, Naas District Court heard.

The man was later found walking on the hard shoulder of the motorway.

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Alan Foley, 46 , whose address was given as Allenwood North, Naas, was fined €250 for a breach of the Public Order Act on April 20, 2025, at Junction 2 northbound on the M9.

Garda Darragh Ryan reported receiving a report of a man in dark clothing on the road.

He said he was stumbling.

The man said he left a taxi and didn’t pay.

The garda said the man was walking on the hard shoulder and was unsteady. He added that vehicles reach speeds of 120 km/h the.

"No one could see him,” said the garda, adding there was a smell of alcohol from him and his speech was slurred.

Taxi driver Patrick Hughes said the man came to the rank in Carlow and asked to go to Ballitore. He then asked to continue to Kilcullen and then to Newbridge.

The  driver said the man got out near Kilcullen and he was starting to get agitated and he called the gardaí.

The defendant handed over the €90 taxi fare in court.