A wonderful illustration showing how much public space we’ve handed over to cars

Not all bad news.

Sorry for any confusion but the new bridge in Athlone is over the Shannon River.

It's relevance to the thread is that it provides a separate crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

The motor traffic will continue to use the existing bridge nearby.

Yet another anti-car/motorist thread in a forum supposedly dedicated to ALL forms of transport...

We live in a country where public transport barely works in our capital and second city - and then only if you're willing to put up with the delays, slow progress, mid-journey changes to get from A to B, anti-social behaviour issues, and of course it's not exactly cheap.

Outside of those cities public transport is even more spotty and expensive (if available at all) and thus impractical for anyone not making a pleasure trip with plenty of time to do it - therefore the car becomes the only practical option, especially given the (in case some forgot) ongoing housing crisis and need to get to work, school, college or elsewhere reliably and predictably.

Running a car isn't cheap either - insurance, tax, servicing, fuel - but people do it because in many cases they have no other viable choices. I think that there a lot of people on forums like this who resent the idea that not everyone has the time or inclination to spend anymore of their time, or lengthening their day, to getting around from wherever they are to wherever they need to be. Plus all that money from car sales, servicing, parts and the rest goes right back into the Government coffers to be spent on all those cycle lanes and bollards and greenways let's not forget. We don't do ring-fencing.. it all comes out of the same pot.

Plus... some people actually LIKE cars and ENJOY driving. I know right! How very dare they!! They should be made walk/cycle everywhere like the rest of "us", because... errr.. the environment something, the need to get into a city infested with feral youth faster.. because it's the "right thing to do" and who do they think they are in their "metal boxes" (I know someone who actually describes motorists like this - despite owning 2 cars themselves, one of which is a pure toy!)

Get over it. For some people walking, public transport, cycling, sharing or some other mode will suit and be preferred. For others it won't and isn't and there's nothing wrong with that either.

Roads were built for horse drawn vehicles long before cars existed.

That being said, I totally agree that vehicles should not be parked on public footpaths.

I suspect that shopping centres that provide convenient parking do the most business - apart from high end small goods (handbags, watches etc.) or items that will be delivered by the supplier.