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Gardaí catch 24 times more Dublin motorists than cyclists breaking red lights

Five times more motorists commute into Dublin city centre each morning than cyclists according to 2015 figures.

20161010_114041 Gardaí and representatives from three Dublin local authorities appeal for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to obey red lights outside Heuston station this morning. TheJournal.ie TheJournal.ie

GARDAÍ HAVE CAUGHT 24 times more motorists than cyclists breaking red lights so far this year in Dublin.

The figures, released at a press conference in Dublin this morning, show that 1,296 cars in Dublin have been recorded breaking a red light so far in 2016 – 24 times the rate of cyclists caught breaking red lights (54) in the same period.

In response to a question from TheJournal.ie, Garda Superintendent Tom Murphy said zero pedestrians have died in collision with a cyclist, but he said one has been seriously injured.

Seven pedestrians have died in Dublin this year, gardaí added. They called on road users to respect red lights.

Pedestrians were involved in 42% of all fatal collisions in the Dublin metropolitan region between 2013 and 2016 to date. Some 11% of fatalities were cyclists.

Nine cyclists have died on Irish roads this year, including two in Dublin, plus several injuries, including a hit and run in Baldoyle, a collision with a taxi; a cyclist fatally knocked off his bike on a cycle lane; and the death of female commuter Donna Fox in the East Wall area of Dublin.

20161010_114358 (1) Pupils from St Columba's on the North Strand in Dublin want motorists and cyclists to stop running red lights near their school. TheJournal.ie TheJournal.ie

Rush-hour commute figures

While 24 times more motorists than cyclists were caught breaking red lights in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, there are five times more motorists (53,064) in Dublin city centre than cyclists (10,893) commuting into Dublin city centre every morning between 7am and 10am.

That’s according to the latest (2015) figures from the NTA and Dublin City Council. The cyclist figure rose 5% in 2015 from the year before.

CSO figures from 2014 say 3.3% of journeys in Dublin are by bike, while 18 times that amount (58.1%) are by car.

Motorcyclists are increasingly using the city’s bike lanes. Garda Superintendent Tom Murphy also said cycle lanes are solely for cyclists.

“Everybody has a responsibility to increase road safety,” he told a press conference in Dublin this morning.

That includes pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists or car or truck users.

Last month the National Transport Authority withdrew funding for cycling infrastructure across Dublin, due to the demands of the Luas cross-city project.

The Dublin Cycling Campaign, which drew up to 1,000 people to a protest against the low allocation (around 1%) of transport funding for cycling and walking this week, has said cyclists will continue to be killed as long as they share road space with buses, taxis and motorists.

The campaign wants 10% of transport funds to be dedicated for cycling and walking infrastructure, due to the high return on investment in terms of health and environmental benefits.

Squeeze on the quays

Dublin City Council has proposed a two-way cycle route along the north quays in Dublin city centre in a new report compiled by planners, although it may take years to come to fruition.

The road projects that have been stalled due to the lack of NTA funding include:

  • the Dodder Greenway from Glenasmole Reservoir in the Dublin Mountains to Grand Canal Dock via Clonskeagh and Tallaght;
  • Segregated cycling lanes from Adamstown to Inchicore and Portobello along the Grand Canal;
  • and Phase 4 of the Royal Canal Greenway.

The segregated cycle paths would have cost between €5.7 million and €12.3 million, but staff and funding for the projects have been diverted to the €368 million Luas Cross-City project, and its attendant rerouting of city centre traffic plans.

At the time, Fianna Fáil’s Dublin spokesman John Lahart questioned whether the €1.5 million in EU funding allocated to South Dublin County Council for the Dodder Greenway was spent, and if so on what.

Labour Senator Kevin Humphreys said the decision shows a “total lack of interest” in cycling safety on the part of Shane Ross, the Minister for Transport.

Fine Gael councillor Paddy Smyth called the move to delay the bike schemes “bananas” and a “100% regressive step”.

Read: Council wants to ban cars and lorries from part of the quays in Dublin

Read: ‘It’s bananas!’: Fury as funding pulled for Dublin cycling projects

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    Mute Adele Sheehan
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    Dec 25th 2017, 10:21 AM

    Oh God, hope they’re okay

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    Mute Leitrim303
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    Dec 25th 2017, 6:50 PM

    @Adele Sheehan: how can be ok when they are bodies. RIP

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    Mute John O'Shea
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    Dec 25th 2017, 7:04 PM

    @Leitrim303: the comment was made 9 hours ago you simpleton.

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    Mute Dlow Brown
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    Dec 25th 2017, 7:17 PM

    @Leitrim303: well done Leitrim.

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    Mute The Red Devil
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    Dec 25th 2017, 11:21 AM

    Christmas is not always a happy time for people please spare a thought for those…….and for the emergency services who are away from their families dealing with whatever comes at them
    Hopefully not as bad as it sounds this story

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    Mute Penney Mortimer
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    Dec 25th 2017, 2:17 PM

    The rainfall yesterday in this area was horrendous . Roads and bridges treacherous when rainfall high. My thoughts are with the families today . And I don’t think anyone should be passing comment on whether there was drinking or not . It’s really none of our business and we need to take into account that at some stage family and friends may read this post and we need to respect their feelings .

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    Mute Mark Murphy
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    Dec 25th 2017, 12:11 PM

    God love them. There is no right or wrong here. Prayers for the family especially on today’s date

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    Mute OU812
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    Dec 25th 2017, 1:30 PM

    @Mark Murphy: there absolutely is right and wrong.

    But let’s wait for the facts to emerge rather than assume what happened.

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    Mute Mark Murphy
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    Dec 25th 2017, 6:13 PM

    @OU812: what a stupid comment

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    Mute Veronica
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    Dec 25th 2017, 3:09 PM

    Oh god absolutely awful. Devastating news for their families.

    I really appreciate our rescue services, they truly are selfless.

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    Mute Dean Burroughs
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    Dec 25th 2017, 11:40 PM

    @Veronica: selfless… It’s their job. Id say professional certainly not selfless.

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    Mute Ben Dunne
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    Dec 26th 2017, 11:19 AM

    @Dean Burroughs:
    Bit more than being professional,most of us don’t risk getting killed helping others. I used to take them for granted until Rescue 116 crashed, used to watch it fly over my house several times a day without a second thought and now I can’t help having tremendous respect for people in that field.

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    Mute Tosh Lavery
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    Dec 25th 2017, 5:01 PM

    Sad, may they Rest In Peace, and the Family’s find the strength to deal with this tragedy

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    Mute Arthur Pewty
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    Dec 25th 2017, 5:29 PM

    Rest in peace young men. My sympathies to all families involved. x

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    Mute Finnster
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    Dec 25th 2017, 2:59 PM

    This is terrible news for these poor families. So tragic , it can happen so easy

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    Mute vero
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    Dec 25th 2017, 12:41 PM

    Please god they will be ok, horrible news at any time of year but worse for the day thats in it

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    Mute patrickmansfield
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    Dec 25th 2017, 6:15 PM

    Prayers to the family and friends of both men,very sad news to get on Christmas morning

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    Mute helen walsh
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    Dec 25th 2017, 1:33 PM

    There was a lot of fog and bad weather, hope they are found alive. Young men are invincible, hope they hadn’t been drinking. Terrible for the families.

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    Mute Alan Chapman
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    Dec 25th 2017, 2:19 PM

    @helen walsh: I think you meant , young men think they’re invincible. Terrible tragedy at any time of year but especially the day that’s in it . Our thoughts also with all the search and rescue services involved in this.

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    Mute Mark Jasper
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    Dec 25th 2017, 9:32 PM

    Well done to my fellow colleagues in search and rescue for a quick and unfortunate recovery today.

    R.I.P. to the two men

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    Mute Siobhan Rosemary
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    Dec 25th 2017, 7:46 PM

    Shocking

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    Mute Michael O'Neill
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    Dec 25th 2017, 11:54 PM

    RIP very sad.

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