[PR] Dublin Cyclists warmly welcome HGV city centre ban

Victor

.

Press Release: Dublin Cyclists warmly welcome HGV city centre ban
From: Dublin Cycling Campaign
Date: 19 February 2007
For immediate use

The Dublin Cycling Campaign (DCC), has today expressed its support for the new HGV ban on the quays. David Maher PRO of the DCC explains "This is a very welcome development and long overdue. Over the past 10 years HGVs have accounted for almost 80% of cyclist deaths in the city centre. Of 21 cyclists killed in Dublin in a 7 year period, 16 were crushed to death by HGVs. Hopefully this new measure will curb the slaughter on our roads and return the city centre to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users"

Maher was extremely critical of the haulage industry's (IRHA) wish to keep the option to use the city centre under review. Maher challenged the IRHA to name another capital city is the world where road planners endorsed a policy of diverting huge HGVs into the city centre to reduce congestion on orbital routes. Maher concluded "Either the IRHA believe allowing HGVs unfettered access to the city centre is safe or they simply don't care whether it is safe or not. Such a policy would see innocent road users needlessly being killed by HGVs in the city centre."

The DCC have called for the HGV ban to be extended
1. until 9pm at night
2. to all HGV accessing Dublin port, not just 5+ axled HGVs

ENDS

FuzzyWuzzyWazza

I agree with getting HGV's out of the city center for congestion reasone, but I don't see them adding to the

the slaughter on our roads

. The loss of the lives of the 16 cyclist is a very tragic occurance, but it may have been wrecklessness on the part of the cyclist that caused the accident, not the fault of the HGV driver.

To me the press release looks like a piece of sensationlist rubbish.

cyclopath2001

FuzzyWuzzyWazza wrote:

but it may have been wrecklessness on the part of the cyclist that caused the accident, not the fault of the HGV driver.

Or not. You don't know.

The DCC should now call for the revocation of the change made to the rules of the road in 1998 by the Progressive Democrats which permits cars and trucks to drive in cycle tracks.

seamus

cyclopath2001 wrote:

The DCC should now call for the revocation of the change made to the rules of the road in 1998 by the Progressive Democrats which permits cars and trucks to drive in cycle tracks.

Still not possible I'm afraid. DCC have made such a ham-fisting of the whole cycle track thing that there are numerous points where the revocation of the above law would require cycle tracks to be ripped up and removed because there's not enough room for both car and bike in the shared lane.

From what I can see, there's been a huge reluctance to look at alternative routes for cycle tracks - they seem to just build them following the roads. If they were routed off the road a lot more - down pedestrian laneways, contra-flow to one-way streets in the city centre (with a separator from the main traffic), through estates, and basically anywhere that would make the journey safer and quicker to take by bicycle, then it would be a proper network.

spacetweek

Agreed on the one-way streets idea - one way streets are an invention designed to improve vehicle flow, not bicycles. They have no relevance to bikes and I don't think bikes should only be allowed go one way on a street just because the cars have to.

FuzzyWuzzyWazza

cyclopath2001 wrote:

Or not. You don't know.

Thats exactly my point, I said

it may have been wrecklessness on the part of the cyclist

I was just making the point that the press release is misleading.

I have to agree on all other points made about cycle lanes, we need more of them and in better locations.

cyclopath2001

seamus wrote:

there's not enough room for both car and bike in the shared lane.

A shared car & cycle track is an oxymoron.

If the road is too narrow to allow cars,trucks and bikes to share the same lane, then this is exactly the reason why a dedicated cycle track is required. Someone lost the plot back in 1998.

The change made by the PDs was a cynical exercise in inflating the statistics.

FuzzyWuzzyWazza wrote:

Thats exactly my point, I said
I was just making the point that the press release is misleading.

The real point is that the accidents are not properly investigated and that the coroner is unable, legally, to assign blame.

FuzzyWuzzyWazza wrote:

I have to agree on all other points made about cycle lanes, we need more of them and in better locations.

First we need to fire all the people responsible for the current mess. They're extermely cynical and do not have the interests of cyclists at heart.

Victor

Interview http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0219/drivetime_av.html?2221140,null,209

Mucco

Victor wrote:

Interview http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0219/drivetime_av.html?2221140,null,209

The poor old haulier fella' sounds like a complete eejit.