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CYCLING HAS BECOME an extremely popular mode of transport in recent years but with the increase in the number of cyclist deaths, is it time to look at how we are handling this popularity boost?
The number of cyclists killed on Irish roads doubled last year compared to 2013. A total of 12 cyclists were killed compared to five the year previous.
The Road Safety Authority said the greatest number of fatalities occurred in Dublin, followed by Limerick – while January and July were the most dangerous months.
However, Dublin was ranked 9th in the world on the Copenhagenize index list of bike-friendly cities for 2013.
The report stated that the introduction of DublinBikes was instrumental in re-establishing the bicycle on the urban landscape in Dublin.
Dublin City Council data reveals that since the DublinBikes scheme began in 2009 – cycling has increased by 43% – that’s more than any other form of transport.
A count of cycle traffic in Dublin city from 2011 to 2013 shows a jump of 20,000 cyclists:
Dublin City Council tallied all traffic passing the Canal Cordon between 7am and 10am every day in November from 2011-2013.
It surveyed 33 locations – so that anyone entering Dublin must pass through a cordon point. It found that cycling had by far the largest increase during that time:
The growth isn’t planning on slowing down either - Dublin City Council is committed to growing cycle numbers in the city as part of it’s national aim of cycling making up 10% of commuter journeys by 2020.
However, a Trinity College study found that cycling in Dublin is generally perceived as unsafe by both experienced and inexperienced cyclists.
The RSA recorded 2,133 cycling injuries in 2013 (2,000 minor and 133 serious), yet hospitals logged 6,565 episodes of care for cyclists.
However, the RSA states that these episodes includes falls and other incidents that are not classified as road traffic collisions within the hospital system.
Dr Brian Caulfield, Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering in the School of Engineering at Trinity College Dublin, says many cycling accidents are not reported:
When people get in a car accident they report it to their insurance company or the gardaí, but cycling accidents are typically going under reported.
Caulfield said this is one of the main problems in tackling cycling safety in Dublin.
Dublin City Council told TheJournal.ie that providing a safe environment for cyclists is crucial and measures are being taken such as the introduction of a 30kph speed limit in parts of the city centre and cycle safety training for primary school children.
It also has plans for more segregated cycle paths. It says parts of Greenways along the Tolka and the Sutton to Sandycove have already been provided and the council is planning for other routes on the Dodder, Liffey and Royal Canal.
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In fairness, if it says “Free park and ride”. I could see why somebody would think the luas journey was also free.
Exactly. Even if you’re at a P&R facility it makes it sound like the ride part is free too.
I suppose they didn’t get a return ticket because they were on their way to see “The Neverending Story” : )
@Ace: Yeah, that would make some sense. It doesn’t say that though.. It says “Luas P+R free Aug Hol “. At a place where there is no Park and Ride, so it’s not even vaguely obvious what P+R is. Also, “Free Park and ride” would make me think that both the parking and the riding were free. :) No?
Would it really have been that difficult to state “Free Parking at Park and Ride” instead, and just put up the sign at Park and Ride locations? Using words and common sense maybe. Crazy, suggestion I know!
In the USA it’s called “kiss and ride” God knows what this woman’s Gobsh*te kids would have thought they’re getting with that.
This was a genuine case of misunderstanding but one would wonder how transdev could ever hope to break even with the amount of people who travel without paying.
They’re subsidised by the Govmint no public transport system anywhere in the world generates enough revenue to pay their own way
In my experience you need to make things like the luas, train stations and airports as simple as possible as you have to cater to first time users and tourists who may not be able to speak the language. I’ve been all over the world and most places make it so easy it’s almost impossible to go wrong. It’s not hard to do. Then there are places that seemingly don’t give a s#@t. I think we should make sure Ireland falls into the former category.
Totally agree Awkward.
Teens not paying their fare on the green line, shocker :-P
There’s no such thing as a free ride !
@Kevin Ward: Or free park.
I was so disappointed that I didn’t get my free pernod and red that day
Woof
how much are the fines for not buying a Ticket on the Luas? just curious , I live in Switzeland and the fine is about 80 euro.
@Patrick Ramseyer: Not sure it matters a lot what the fine is in Dublin, because from what I’ve heard, no one ever pays it.
100
Not sure Patrick I just throw them away and they’ve never come after me
Sometimes I think that officialdom makes it so difficult for companies and businesses, big and small,to operate. IMHO, a ridiculous ruling…
Let’s keep rewarding stupidity. Look at the bonus prize we all got from that in the form of Trump and his cabinet.
Ignorance is no excuse to law. Silly ruling, makes a mockery of the system. At least the lads got some extra pocket money in town.
@Niall Ó Dochartaigh: agreed, transdev were quite ignorant on this occasion.
They still had to pay the fine. This was just the advertising standards authority ruling the ad broke the industry voluntary code of practice. It has no legal powers to make any order for the the fine to be refunded
Park n ride doesnt work anyway, i parked there for 2 hours last week but didnt get a ride.
Did no body flash there light or did you forget to flash yours? The Big boys tell me that’s how it works.
So I was the fine cancelled or refunded?
No…this was just the Advertising Standards Authority finding that the advertising industry voluntary code of practice was breached, they have no legal authority to force anyone to do anything. It was a completely pointless exercise to lodge this complaint against Transdev they wouldn’t have even sent a lawyer to hearing just their public relations people would have attended.
They knew exactly what the sign ment.but we’ll done god loves a tryer
There was a Court case last July re the LUAS where the Judge said that the ticket inspectors cannot stop you on the platform to ask you for a ticket because that is the ‘public highway’ and its only a Guard that can challenge you on the ‘public highway’ so LUAS inspectors, or any other inspector for that matter, can only challenge you on board the LUAS/Bus etc.
I suppose it’s free park and ride for the Dogging. Community!
I guess you had to be be there to get that
In few months we’ll read how it cost half million of euros to establish what free park and ride mean and oxford English commission had to be established and called. It’s not scary what these morons spend their time debating about when there’s thousands of important issues around.
The red line should be called ‘The Mainline Express’
I also got caught out by this and went dogging at the Red Cow Luas Car Park. Hope my fine is overturned
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