The Dublin Cycling Campaign is an independent, voluntary lobby group that has been working to improve the city for all cyclists for over a decade and a half.
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Press Release on bus strike
Do not open bus lanes during bus strike to commuter car use!
27 April 2009: For immediate use, contact: James Leahy at 086 040 6720 or Dr. Mike McKillen at 01-896 1613 (W); 087-2314 613 (M)
Dublin Cycling Campaign is calling for bus users to get on their bikes and cycle to get around, instead of using their cars, during the Dublin Bus drivers' unofficial strike.
Spokesperson James Leahy says: "If we are going to really improve transport in Dublin we need, both a decent bus system and more cycling. Dublin's bus lanes are actually "bus/cycle lanes" and are used by thousands of cyclists a day. However, because they are often badly designed and policed, many potential cyclists are afraid to use them."
DTO statistics for 2007 show that the number of cyclists crossing the canal into the city centre in the morning was 10% of the number of bus passengers. Buses and bikes can safely share bus/cycle lanes if they are generally 4.5 m wide and if drivers and cyclists are properly trained. Where this is done, buses can safely pass cyclists, and cyclists have room to pass buses at stops.
James Leahy suggests that "The bus strike is a great opportunity to show what could be done. If the Gardai police the lanes properly, keeping cars out and tackling dangerous overtaking by taxis, thousands of existing bus users could cycle during the strike." Any additional vehicles in the existing lanes would be hazardous for cyclists - their drivers have not been trained to safely overtake cyclists.
Dublin Cycling Campaign has been running a campaign on dangerous overtaking of cyclists by drivers. It is an offence to frighten a rider or make a cyclist veer when overtaking so drivers should leave at least 1.5 m clear between themselves and the cyclist or wait for a safe opportunity to pass. It is the closeness of approach that scares off newcomer cyclists within the bus lane system. [The offence is set out in SI No. 182 of 1997, section 10.]
James Leahy concludes: "Cycling during the bus strike would support Dublin Bus and support cycling. The alternative of opening up the bus lanes to general traffic will only drive cyclists off the road making the problem worse. It's important to defend these bus/cycle lanes from proposals to open them up to hackney cabs and high occupancy vehicles (limousines). It could be a great opportunity for people to use the new EUR1000 government bike-to-work tax incentive and give cycling a try."
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