On your bike, mayor tells city

THE ‘let’s go for it’ spirit of Ronan O’Gara was invoked by the Mayor of Limerick yesterday as he called on the city to get on der bikes.

Cllr Jim Long was speaking at the launch of a bike strategy, successfully operating in Dublin, to encourage people to swap cars for pedal power.

Junior Transport Minister Alan Kelly announced an allocation of €1.4 million to fund public bicycles in Limerick, with the strategy due to kick off in 2013.

He said a further €3.8m will need to be raised locally to get the scheme on its way in Limerick.

Mr Long said: “Since the bikes policy was launched in Dublin it has proven a huge boost to tourism, with visitors accessing the bike bays rather than having to get into taxis or buses. As a keen cyclist myself, I know there is a particular delight in going around on my old High Nelly.”

Up to 65,000 people have used the Dublin bike bays since the facility was introduced there two years ago.