Everyone who cycles - for whatever purpose - is being asked to meet for a massive cycle to the Department of Transport. Tourism and Sport.
Irish roads are filled with cyclists commuting every day and the country lanes host tens of thousands of leisure and racing cyclists out for training rides.
But still the funding for all forms of cycling is paltry.
And as the economy begins to recover and there are major transport projects under way, those getting around by pedal power are expected to be satisfied with the crumbs for the Government’s table.
But an opportunity has now arrived for you to register your protest in the shape of a mass demonstration – a ‘protest peloton’ if you will – outside Government offices.
Next Monday evening – that’s Monday, October 3rd – cyclists from all over the country are being asked to gather at the Dublin Bikes stand on Merrion Square West at 5.30pm for a huge cycle to protest outside the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on nearby Leeson Lane.
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The protest is organised by Dublin Cycling Campaign in collaboration with Cyclist.ie in the hope Minister Shane Ross will take notice.
Also supporting the protest are An Taisce - the National Trust for Ireland and Love 30, an umbrella body seeking lower speed limits for towns and cities.
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Cycling protests over funding and safety have been extremely well supported in the UK of late. But it needs all of us to turn out to make it happen in Dublin next Monday evening.
Mike McKillen of the Dublin Cycling Campaign said it was time everyone who used a bike – for transport or leisure – got organised to work for more funding.
“Of the €10 billion allocated for transport investment in the Capital Investment Plan for 2016-2021, active travel - including walking, cycling and other measures - is allocated just €100 million,” he said.
“That means cycling is to receive approximately half of one percent of the transport pie.
“If that wasn’t bad enough, we heard in the last few weeks of further cutbacks in future funding for cycling projects for Dublin City Council by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport,
“This all comes at a time when we have had nine cyclist fatalities in Ireland this year already, the most recent of which was the tragic death of Donna Fox at the junction between Seville Place and Guild Street in the north inner city.”
He added the Dublin Cycling Campaign was calling on all cyclists to join next Monday’s protest “to send a loud-and-clear message to the Minister that he needs to recognise that the status quo is not good enough”.
“Cycling needs proper funding to make it safer and to enable Dublin to reach its potential as a world class cycling city.”
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