Sir, – It is no surprise that the Environmental Protection Agency recently noted that it is clear that current and planned policies are simply not sufficient to meet the EU target for Ireland of achieving a 20 per cent cut in greenhouse gases (based on 2005 levels) by 2020.
Commuting by bicycle replaces the use of fossil fuel-based transport methods, and you would think it should be encouraged. However, the infrastructure for cyclists remains poor and unsafe. For example, commuting cyclists have to contend on a daily basis with the need to avoid broken glass littering Dublin’s cycle paths, which is often not removed for months. This forces cyclists to use glass-free bus lanes to reduce the risk of puncture, but to the chagrin of some taxis and bus drivers honking their horns.
It seems that in the hierarchy of commuters, the cyclist is regarded as an unwanted inconvenience while the needs of fossil fuel-based commuting methods are prioritised and preferred.
Is it any wonder that transport-based emissions will continue to rise unabated? – Yours, etc,
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MARK FOX,
Shankill,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – The skateboarders are all very quiet compared to the cyclists. Are they just a mellower bunch? – Yours, etc,
PATRICIA O’RIORDAN,
Dublin 8.