Fears over burglars escaping by motorbike have been raised by those opposed to the Galway-Dublin 277km Greenway.
Residents in one part of Galway have voiced their opposition to a stretch of the Galway-Dublin Greenway going through their area because it would assist criminals.
The opposition centres on the proposed route from Roscam to Renmore, a short stretch of about 5km to the east of Galway City.
And at a meeting of local residents in recent days a councillor from the area said he was opposed to “fat cat” consultants and managers forcing the project through.
Local man John Grealish, who chaired the meeting, said there were real fears that the Greenway – a cycling route across the country – would bring crime into the area.
Specifically he said the Greenway would expose the backs of properties to passers-by, adding burglars on motorbikes could escape down the cycle route after carrying out their crimes.
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“The area is a peninsula and one of the benefits of that is that there is only one way in and one way out,” he said in remarks reported by the Connacht Tribune.
“This proposed route will expose the back of private property to people who could escape on motorbikes on the cycleway – and we are only two kilometres from the motorway so we are very open.
“There is one man that the route is so close to the back of his house, he could hand tea through the window to people passing.”
He insisted he was not opposed to the project, rather the project’s current proposed route.
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“There is already a proposal that they are going to run a pathway from the city out to Curragreen, but a footpath; why couldn’t a cycleway be included?
“Farmers have indicated that of a small amount of land had to be taken for this, they wouldn’t mind. The issue here is splitting land in two.”
The Greenway, which would run to 277km, has already hit a variety of problems.
The western section of the route was halted last year by then minister for transport Paschal Donohoe after complaints by farming organisations and a perceived lack of consultation with people living along the route.
Galway City Councillor Mike Crowe said he would be requesting the council take the Roscam to Renmore proposed Greenway route out of the ‘city development plan’ amid complaints locals had not been consulted.
And once that was done local stakeholders should be given the opportunity to make their views known to the National Transport Authority.
His view was supported by four other councillors at this week’s meeting.
“This community.. will not stand idly by while fat cat consultants and senior officials try to drive a coach and four through our community with little or no regard for the effect on the residents and the environs,” said Cllr Crowe.
He also believed the proposed route would take longer than of the Greenway ran along the Coast Road out of the city.
“It’s grand on a July afternoon if you’re a tourist out for a cycle,” he said. “Other than that, it just doesn’t make sense.”
“We… have an opportunity to remove this madness from it and send a message to these officials that we do not support this route.”
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