We must amend law to put the brakes on cyclists using footpaths
Both were extremely traumatised and frightened by the experience.
The Minister for Transport, Paschal Donohoe has recently introduced a series of on-the-spot fines for a number of cycling offences, but, in his wisdom, decided to omit cycling on footpaths as an offence. This ill-conceived decision will give cyclists carte blanche to mount footpaths with impunity and terrorise pedestrians, such as the unfortunates set upon today.
The minister has done a complete U-turn on this issue as, only some months ago, he gave a written parliamentary answer to Seán Kenny TD of Fine Gael as follows:
Minister Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael) stated that the law on the issue of cycling on footpaths is at present as set out in the Roads Act 1993 and that “specifies that footpaths are for the use of pedestrians”.
He added: “However, I do not believe that a change in the law to allow some cyclists to use footpaths is an appropriate response. This would take some cyclists off the road, but at the price of creating more risk for pedestrians. It would also be difficult to enforce a situation in which some cyclists were allowed on footpaths and others not. I have therefore no plans to amend the legislation on usage of footpaths at this time.” Also, Mr Donohoe’s predecessor Leo Varadkar, who initiated the scheme, had no plans to amend the legislation.
For the record, on page 192 of The Rules of the Road book issued by the Road Safety Authority, it states under a list of don’ts: Don’t ever ride on or across a footpath.
On page five, under Cycling Safety, it again states: Never cycle on a footpath.
The current law is time-honoured and couldn’t be clearer.
However, the minister’s ham-fisted, confusing, and unenforceable decision has substantially increased the risk to pedestrians and is another confused classic example of an Irish solution to an Irish problem.
If, as he states, that the safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians is his priority, then he should change his mind again to avoid, without doubt, many similar incidents involving unsuspecting pedestrians, like the one I witnessed on College Road.
