Women in Ireland find cycling the least safe and one of the most unattractive forms of transport due to safety fears and poor cycling infrastructure, a major new report on Irish transport has found.
The Transport Infrastructure Ireland report rated
all modes of transport and cycling received a mixed reception when compared
against the car, train, walking, bus and taxi.
The car was ranked
as the most ‘pleasant way to travel’, with cycling ranked 4th of the six modes.
Walking came out on top of the ‘good for my health’ index, with cycling 2nd. The
car was regarded as the least stressful mode of transport, with cycling second
worst, only ahead of taking a taxi.
Under the ‘time to myself’ category, walking came out on top and cycling was again second worst. Under the safety category, cycling was regarded as the least safe and it was also worst in terms of ‘child friendly’ and second worst under the ‘I can rely on it’ category’.
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However, women
interviewed for the survey said when they opted for cycling, mostly at
weekends, they really enjoyed it. Others expressed a desire to cycle but said
they had never done it when they were younger and felt, mainly due to safety
concerns, they could not do it now.
“While women view
cycling as good for health, this is negated by unsafe experiences and a
perception that it is the least safe way to travel because of a lack of quality
infrastructure,” the report says.
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It identified a
number of improvements that could be made across the country that would make
cycling more attractive to women:
- Improve cycling infrastructure to increase safety.
- Establish clear cycling etiquette and laws to increase safety and confidence for cyclists.
- Promote cycling lessons and information about safe equipment and practices for all to establish cycling habits.
- Improve driver awareness about cyclists.
However, the
report noted that despite the shortcomings with cycling infrastructure and
safety concerns, “many women turn to walking, cycling, or public transport for a break from the car on
weekends and holidays”.
The chief executive
of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Michael Nolan, highlighted the
cycling-related concerns in his remarks on the report, saying women were
reluctant to cycle at a time when cycling could greatly improve transport and
mobility in Ireland.
“This study is the
first step, a building block, towards improving women’s travel experiences in
Ireland. The report was finalised during the recent worldwide Covid-19 pandemic
and we recognise that life as we know it has changed dramatically,” he said.
“Never has there
been such a need to rapidly address and promote sustainable and active modes of
transport such as walking and cycling.
“This is a huge
opportunity for the Irish transport sector to come together and work
collaboratively with our partners, stakeholders, and communities so that the
findings from this report can influence modal shift and inform future policy
and decision making - making sustainable transport options feel safer, more
attractive, and more accessible to everyone.”
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