Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway told a parliamentary debate that he uses taxis a lot in Dublin. And taxi drivers often told him the biggest hazards they faced on Dublin's roads were cyclists. And he believed this and other cyclist behaviours needed to be dealt with.
Senator Martin Conway told by taxi drivers cyclists are major problem
As the cycling death toll mounts on the roads, an Irish politician has suggested there needs to be new ways of “dealing with” cyclists.
Senator Martin Conway (FG) has said taxi drivers tell him cyclists are the biggest hazards on the roads.
He believed having more people out on bikes was a good thing. However, Ireland had an issue with cyclists that must now be addressed.
“There is an issue in this city (Dublin) and country with cyclists not using cycle lanes or abiding by the rules of the road,” he told a Seanad debate.
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“Overall, cycling is very positive. It is good to see people out cycling because it is good for their health, mental well-being and the environment.
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“However, when cyclists are blatantly abusing the roads and not co-operating with the traffic systems and structures in place, we have a problem.
“I use taxis quite a bit in Dublin. Taxi drivers will say that their biggest challenge in terms of road safety is trying to navigate around cyclists.
“In my parish in county Clare, we have an excellent cycle lane. It cost €500,000 at the time.
“It was the Labour Party's Deputy Alan Kelly who provided the funding for it when he was in government.
“Unfortunately, however, more often than not one will see people cycling on the road and not using the cycle lane.
“I would like a debate on cycling to be arranged with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
“In addition, the transport committee might examine new protocols and arrangements for dealing with cyclists.”
He made his remarks on November 15th, by which time 11 cyclists had been killed on the Republic's road since the start of the year.
However, since the remarks - which are only coming to light now - three more cyclists have been killed in the Republic and one in the North.
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