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TRANSPORT MINISTER SHANE Ross has said he “fully understands” the ‘die in’ protests by cyclists following the recent deaths of cyclists on Irish roads.
Cyclist Neeraj Jain died last Friday after he was struck by a lorry on the South Circular Road in Dublin.
Yesterday, I Bike Dublin staged a ‘die in’ outside Leinster House with supporters lying down on the road in protest. A similar demonstration was held outside Dublin City Council’s office the previous day.
“I think it’s absolutely tragic, what has been happening in recent times on the roads,” the minister said today.
And I want to express my great regret and great sympathy and condolences to the families of those who died on bikes in recent times, particularly the recent death last week. And I fully understand what what the die in protests are saying. And I fully sympathise the sentiments expressed.
Ross was speaking at the launch of a new Dublin Bus virtual reality training tool that allows bus drivers see the road from a cyclist’s perspective.
I Bike Dublin staged a protest outside the launch today and one of its activists Peter Collins, along with his daughter Caoimhe, presented Ross with a bunch of flowers to represent the cyclists who’ve died on the road under this government.
The VR tool uses Oculus Go headsets to bring drivers on a 10 minute journey from Parnell Square to Camden Street with Dublin Bus CEO Ray Coyne saying today the company hopes to develop a tool to allow other road users see the road from the perspective of bus drivers.
Ross used the headset at the launch and said it showed the “perils” cyclists experience on the road.
“Having seen the experience and being immersed in it for the last few minutes, I did get a an idea of the kind of perils which cyclists face when they are when they are cycling around the streets of Dublin, ” the minister said.
And obviously this is done in a way which is sympathetic to the cyclist but also trains the drivers to see the difficulties which they encounter on a daily basis. And we don’t doubt that at all. The government is trying as hard as it can, in the wake of some tragic accidents, and the more recent one, to look at constantly the difficulties cyclists face and ameliorate them.
After presenting the flowers to Ross with his daughter Caoimhe, Collins told reporters that the government is not doing enough.
“In terms of the current government, as Caoimhe said there’s 40 people died while cycling during the current administration, that’s 40 too many,” he said.
There’s not enough being done, there’s very much a motor or windscreen view when it comes to allocating funding, we’re not taking into account vulnerable road users, the likes of Caoimhe, the likes of myself, my family going around about our business. We’re not head to toe in Lycra, we’re going shopping, going to school, to sports at weekend or whatever.
Collins said there are times when he has felt unsafe on the roads: “I’ve been close passed, I’ve been cut off, I’ve had people driving cut out in front of me on my bike, I’ve had to take evasive action. I’ve even come off on the Luas tracks.”
Ross was asked whether the government is spending enough to make cycling safer.
“I’ll never be able to allocate enough money to save lives, no government could ever do that. We are doing everything we possibly think is possible and effective and necessary to do that,” he said.
“And on the general cycling allocations of money, we’re offering huge amounts that we’re spending and in the years to come we’ve increased it enormously.”
Asked about driving in the city and how it is from a motorist’s perspective, Ross said his priority is to get people into public transport.
“What I see every day is the need to get people out of their cars and get them into public transport. That’s the objective of our policy in the city and everywhere else. I think we have been very successful in getting people to the public transport. Certainly, we still haven’t been successful enough,” he said.
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Fair play to that girl. Sticking up for herself and her friends who just want to get to school safely. She should be Minister for Transport rather than the Minister for Private School Hockey Pitches we have now.
@Oisín O’Connor:
What actions do you think are needed?
@Sylvia O’Regan: The Minister needs to provide money to build proper protected cycle lanes in my opinion. No more of this paint nonsense. The kind of curb protected cycle tracks that we see along the Grand Canal in Dublin are fantastic. You see everyone of all ages and abilities cycling safely on it. If we built more like more kids like the brave young woman in the video could freely and safely cycle to school or to the park etc.
@Sylvia O’Regan: serious investment in safe cycle lanes that keep schoolchildren and everyone else away from motor traffic. Cutting off rat runs to make residential streets safer for all to move around. An 11 year old should be able to cycle to school without sharing a lane with a double decker bus or a HGV.
@Kevin Baker: would you agree if these fancy cycle lanes were built that it would be compulsory for cyclists to use them.
@Peter Barlow: most cyclists would be happy to use safe, well built segregated lanes. I can assure you that nobody cycles among drivers as a first choice.
@Kevin Baker: A lot of cylists won’t use cycle lanes end of. Untill the Government makes it compulsory to use them. I think cycle lanes need to be provided away from traffic all of the main routes into every town and city in the Country . The biggest blame for cyclists getting injured and killed is the fault of drivers and I say this as a driver myself . But a lot of cyclists can and should do a lot more protect themselves for their own sake As climate change looms cars will become a lot more expensive to buy and service . Cycling wil be a ideal obtion for a lot of people and now is the time to start building these lanes.
@Stephen McManus: Stephen, on a regular journey here in Galway, I see cyclists on the road and ignoring the cycle path. As a cyclist and a driver, I’d much prefer to see both separate.
Before we get to separate routes, there needs to be educational pathways for both drivers and cyclists.
@Peter Barlow: why wouldn’t cyclists use proper segrated cycle lanes. But no sane cyclist should use what is basically a footpath with a painted line down the middle and punctuated with metal poles and driveway entrances
@Alan Scott:
Unfortunately most cycle lanes are poorly designed or thought out in Dublin , as a cyclist it’s a pleasure to cycle from Clontarf to Howth . It’s separated from the road and although not perfect is better than most and goes for a few miles …
The big issue is stupidly thought out lanes which go for 200m or so before having to go down paths cross roads or lose right of way on . The one near waterside between malahide rd to swords is a prime example . Designed by a an absolute muppet
As a driver too, I respect cyclists who do cycle on roads beside cycle lanes , why ? Because I know the reasoning … I wish others would too
@Liam Higgins: the presence of cycling lanes doesn’t mean that people who cycle have a better option. These lanes might have poor surfaces, be badly maintained, have design issues at junctions and so on. The majority of lanes have serious issues, though standards have picked up in recent years.
The sooner Ross is gone, the better.
The cyclists contribute to there own peril.
The dont stop at lights,the dont use lights .
The dont were high vis.vests.
@Thomas McMillan: Oooh that’ll get ‘me goin
@Will Thompson: *‘em
@Thomas McMillan: Please tell that to Donna Fox or her loved one. She was killed by a left-turning truck while cycling to work one bright September morning in 2016. She was wearing a helmet and hi-vis and cycling in a painted bike lane. She was doing everything right. I don’t blame the driver either. They are forced to drive HGVs with large blind spots in tight urban spaces, even when HGVs with no blind spots exist.(google: “direct vision HGVs”). The junction where Donna was killed was poorly designed to protect a woman just trying to cycle to work.
@Thomas McMillan: this year two cases of drivers not looking ahead of them and they drove into cyclists. Neither spent a day in prison, one was looking at their child in the back seat and the other just wasn’t looking forward. Both cyclists had hi viz and helmets and it was day time. According to you the cyclists are at fault here. If what you are saying is true then the inquests and judgments would proportion blame on the cyclists. That isn’t happening because drivers are being found to be at fault.
@Thomas McMillan: I cycle to work every day. Like every single other cyclist, I only use footpaths, ignore every red light and just plough through junctions and so enjoy watching pedestrians jump out of the way when they have a green man at a pedestrian crossing. I always wear dark clothing and never ever use lights at night. It just adds to the craic.
@Kevin Baker: I love people like you who talk about things you know little about. Direct vision hgvs are not what you claim & no vehicle on the road has no blind spots including cars. Direct vision hgvs are an improvement but put the burden solely on hgvs which is not a solution. Direct vision hgvs have been involved in fatal bike accidents in London. You want to prevent fatal bike accidents with hgvs listen to their drivers.
@Thomas McMillan: As a driver I see the very same with drivers VW BMW Audi are the biggest culprits but they are not the only ones. While I agree with above comment.
@Thomas McMillan: you seem to be having a bit of trouble writing and spelling there. Maybe pull the car over and stop before having a rant?
Those trucks aren’t driven by people just nipping to the shops. How do you think the city could function without deliveries to businesses. It would grind to a halt on day 1.
@Joseph Lyons: so we should allow them to kill people?
@Craic_a_tower: Will you calm down! Do you think these drivers set out to kill people, idiotic comment!
@Craic_a_tower: yes…
@popeye Doyle: do in your mind, you’d ban all trucks from the city Centre ??? Well how would any city Centre Bike shop receive there stock of new bikes and spare parts???
@Craic_a_tower: No truck driver sets out to kill a cyclist when a truck is making a left hand turn I do see cyclists going up on the side of the truck despite a truck has warning signs on his vehicle cyclists still continue to do it all cyclists should understand going along the side of a truck is dangerous and putting lives in danger there are blind spots and all the camera’s and mirrors won’t stop accidents happening. If the cyclists won’t take heed.
@Alan Scott: I think we’ve finally proven that the journal is not a place for grown up discussions. Such lack of awareness that is immediately disproven by looking at any European city larger than Dublin. If we listened to the journal, we’d still be able to drive down Grafton Street without a seatbelt flocking cigarettes out the window and artic megatrucks would be ploughing down the quays.
@Craic_a_tower: maximum outrage on the outrage guage
@Joseph Lyons: they should use cargo bikes. That’d keep things going.
Could do with a bit exercise those truckers and van drivers anyway. They’re all lazy b*stards
And just to show I have a balanced point of view in my use of sweeping generalisations
All cyclists always break red lights all the time too etc
@Joseph Lyons: Yes, think of the thousands of people in Seville who have starved to death since they banned vehicles from the city centre a few years ago. Oh, wait…
@Joseph Lyons: i didnt want to read all the replys here but i feel i should be outraged at someone? Anyways count me in!
There’s some drivers think they’re driving in formula 1,theres also some cyclists who think there in tour de France.
@herp: drivers always hold more responsibility given they are driving a two tonne metal box that can very easily kill somebody, I say this as a motorist. I’m mindful of more vulnerable road users and anybody that isn’t is negligent.
I rarely go out on cycling but last did I did I had one car almost hit my elbow as it passed and I had another van who was pulling out of a junction and actually crossed over the line to my side of the road (even though they were heading the other direction) and almost collided with me.
Both incidents happened on country roads white enough for a white line and next to no traffic.
@herp: “Look at me, I think I’m in the tour de France!”… said no cyclist ever.
Great work, I Bike Dublin. Ross was clearly uncomfortable.
@Feljin: to be fair he always looks uncomfortable
Cycling in Dublin is like Russian Roulette.
@Padraic O Sullivan: Really???? Check out the stats for cyclist deaths in Europe. Holland average 100+ deaths per year. Denmark +35. Germany +400. Ireland is actually rather safe. And would be safer if cyclists obeyed the rules of the road.
@Fred Coloe: ah fred, come on now its not “cool” at the minute to say things like that, cycling is hip at the minute dont be getting all riled up!
@Fred Coloe: Do you even realise how many ppl in Denmark are cycling? 9 out of 10 Danish ppl own a bicycle, 62% of Copenhageners bike to work with approx 560.000 bikes in Copenhagen in 2018 – 28 deaths in ( bicycle ) traffic compare to Dublin with approx 77.345 bikes in 2017-16, 40 deaths in 2016. That is a lot more deaths in % of ppl cycling BY FAR
@Fred Coloe: Leave alone the Netherlands with 17 million inhabitants 23 million bicycles.
@Fred Coloe: Do you even realise how many ppl in Denmark are cycling? 9 out of 10 Danish ppl own a bicycle, 62% of Copenhageners bike to work with approx 560.000 bikes in Copenhagen in 2018 – 28 deaths in ( bicycle ) traffic compare to Dublin with approx 77.345 bikes in 2017-16, 40 deaths in 2016. That is a lot more deaths in % of ppl cycling BY FAR. Leave alone Netherlands with 17 million inhabitants and 23 million bikes
Minister for Transport… what a joke.
More vote catching
Most not all Cycling lanes are a joke they never join up properly at junctions most of the time its just a white line dividing a car lane up and there’s not enough space for both. I only cycle in the summer months I got too many near death experiences in the dark winter months I don’t blame the cars after all they are paying for the roads with car tax Ross is just using this to get his mush in the media.
@Alan Kelly: cars are paying for the roads? WTF? Unbelievable! I pay €750 a year Motor tax, I pay income tax, VAT, property tax…..hell I even paid VAT on my 3 bikes and all my cycling kit! And YOU think people like me don’t pay our fair share?
@Alan Kelly: This issue isn’t the car or the cyclists fault, even if they blame each other all the time.
The fact is most of our roads barely have space for an average car, dividing that up forces them to share a space that isn’t big enough for both.
@Alan Kelly: you said it dude and your loaded with three bikes and all that other gear! hey you have a Great name
@Cynical: totally agreed with you.
@Alan Kelly: some of what you say is right, but road maintenance is funded by General Taxation – by everyone – not motor tax exclusively
@Cynical: there’s plenty of room for bikes.
@Alan Kelly:
Unfortunately Alan bigots will never get that most cyclists have cars too ! Crazy isn’t it !!!
Every day I see cyclists with no lights on dark nights. The deliveroo types are the worst. Those companies need to be made responsible for their employees complying with the rules.
The best one I’ve seen so far was a girl cycling in the pitch back on a cloudy motionless night, wearing all black clothes, no helmet, dark hair, no lights, wearing noise cancelling headphones and playing with her phone as she cycled one handed with her eyes on the phone instead of the road.
@Ronan Fahy: but…you did see her
Was at a Meath county council open meeting to traffic calming in Batterstown Co Meath today. No cycling lane’s design for the new road’s even those new laws about distance between cars and cyclists. The major problems are road design.
If they got rid of tolls and let all cars drive on national roads paid by road tax and taxes from motor repairs and maintenance, fuel.
By allowing all cars use motor ways the risk of fatalities is highly reduced.
Berlin has been using electric busses for quite a while. Dublin?
Looking at Galway City – not a single metre of segrated safe cycling lane in or around the city. Not even along new developments that are just being completed. The few pathetic attempts are an unsafe joke.
Far more cyclists are killed each year in Holland and Denmark than in Ireland. And they are supposed to have proper cycling facilities. Ross is a clown too.
@Fred Coloe: surely even you know that’s a silly point? The percentage of cyclists in the Netherlands is much higher so of course there are more deaths. I’ve been in Amsterdam 3 times in last 12 months and the checking infrastructure is brilliant
@Fred Coloe: far more regular cyclists in Holland though. What do the numbers look like as proportions/percentages?
@Dave Harris: He doesn’t know how % works
@Fred Coloe:Do you even realise how many ppl in Denmark are cycling? 9 out of 10 Danish ppl own a bicycle, 62% of Copenhageners bike to work with approx 560.000 bikes in Copenhagen in 2018 – 28 deaths in ( bicycle ) traffic compare to Dublin with approx 77.345 bikes in 2017-16, 40 deaths in 2016. That is a lot more deaths in % of ppl cycling BY FAR. Leave alone Netherlands with 17 million inhabitants and 23 million bikes
@Fred Coloe: Absolutely agree Fred. Much in the same way that far more people in Switzerland die each year due to avalanches. Irish avalanche warning systems considered the best in the world. Keeping us all safe.
…and as soon as he got a chance, he put the flowers on the floor and left the building. On your bike Ross.
Can we please make a VR demonstration for Shane Ross to show him what public transport is actually like. Seeing as how he’d never go near a bus, train, luas or bike in his life. He’s an embarrassment.
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