Labour launches cycling scheme
The Labour Party launched a scheme today to turn Ireland into a nation of cyclists.
Transport spokesman Roisín Shortall, TD, said she wanted Dublin to become like Amsterdam or Copenhagen where biking is the norm.
She got on her bike on the pavement opposite Leinster House in Dublin to launch a ten-point plan which she said would be good for both people and planet.
Ms Shortall said it was aimed at encouraging more people of all ages to use their bicycles as a viable means of getting to school or work and as a way of travelling around city, town, village or countryside.
“The benefits are obvious,” she said. “Not only will increased numbers of cyclists take vehicles off our roads and ease congestion, it will also have benefits for the environment as cycling is, perhaps, the most eco-friendly means of transport.
“All this is aside from the major health benefits of cycling. Research has shown that cyclists have a life expectancy several years ahead of non-cyclists.”
Most of the plan could he implemented by local authorities, said the TD, including extending the number of dedicated cycle routes, appointing cycling officers and including cycling in local development plans.
However, central Government also had a role to play in promoting cycling through the schools and education system, improving safety standards on the roads to ensure all cyclists were protected to the greatest possible extent and recognising Ireland’s potential as a popular destination for visitors and tourists who wished to explore the countryside on their bicycles, she said.
Ms Shortall said: “If cycling can be so popular in other European countries, there is no reason why it cannot be so in Ireland.
“These ten steps are a simple starting point for encouraging more Irish people to leave their cars behind and to start using their bikes.”
