Sir, - I have just experienced a futile trip to my local town Midleton, on a number of messages, some business and some personal. On my arrival in the town at 12.30 p.m. on a Friday normally a busy time, the Main Street was closed to traffic and all approach roads to the Main Street, from my side at least, were totally jammed with cars. I could not park the car and walk because there was nowhere available to park. I decided to abandon the trip and returned to my office seven miles away. The cause of this disruption to traffic was a cycling race.
Some years ago I had a retail business just off the Main Street of the same town when a similar event occurred. No customer could get into my shop for nearly an hour.
As the euphoria at the coming of the Tour de France is now lessening, could we consider whether we do actually want such an event going through our already congested towns, particularly at peak business times. A lot has been said about the economic advantages to the country of such an event in tourism terms, but there is also a down side in the expense and disruption to other business.
If we are to have such events, could they stick to the main roads bypassing the town centres? Alternatively, if they are to go through our towns, perhaps they should do so after business hours when they might be a welcome spectacle. - Yours, etc.,
Lower Aghada,
Midleton,
Co. Cork.