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Anne Marie Fuller
THE Green Party Tralee representative has called for safe cycling routes on roundabouts after a young girl was knocked off her bike in a hit and run incident last week.
Anne-Marie Fuller was speaking after the incident last Thursday evening where the girl received minor injuries after she was hit by a car at Ballymullen roundabout. Gardaí are investigating the incident.
“My heart goes out to that young girl, thankfully she did not suffer very serious physical injuries, but it is still a shocking experience to go through,” said Ms Fuller.
“This accident highlights that we need to take cycling seriously in Kerry and protect people who chose to make their journeys by bike. I’m aware of another incident at the roundabout by the Aqua Dome where a cyclist was knocked down and ended up in hospital,” she added.
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“Roundabouts can be designed with an outer cycle path to ensure cycle safety and efficiency. This is how they do it in Holland where bike travel is taken seriously. We should take a critical look at how we have designed our roads and streets and why they are unsafe for people walking or cycling.”
Ms. Fuller, who regularly cycles with her children, is also reiterating her call to have a cycle officer appointed by Kerry County Council.
“The Programme for Government promised that every local authority adopts a high-quality cycling policy with the help of a suitably qualified Cycling Officer. Such a person should be working with the National Transport Authority to ensure that roads and roundabouts take cyclists into consideration.
“An accident like the one at Ballymullen Roundabout is completely avoidable. The design only suits cars and encourages high speed. At a time when we are trying to encourage people out of their cars and toward active travel it is unacceptable that design like this is allowed to persist. We need to see a serious commitment by Kerry County Council to develop a network of connected cycling routes which are segregated from motor traffic. The next accident could have far more serious consequences.”
“What cyclists also need to that there is an expectation by motorists that they will meet cyclists on the road and drive accordingly. Cyclists are someone’s daughter or son, they could be someone’s mother or father, let’s keep that in mind when we’re on the road,” she said.
Maybe the Green Party can solve this problem with another Green tax!
I hope the young girl is well.
However, I feel as a cyclist and driver the problem is on the cyclist side.
I have seen cyclists on footpaths at speed, hoping from road to path and crossing pedestrian crossings in an iritic manner and often on the road with no lighting, even driving cycling the wrong direction on the right side against traffic, no hand signals and even breaking traffic lights.
This list of broken rules of the road is the normal way to cycle in Ireland now!
It is very rare to see a cyclist on the road using the rules of the road like 20 years ago.
I have seen the odd one, but sadly very rare.
The vast majority are a danger to them selves on the roads and others on the footpaths.
There seem to be a PC attitude that anyone cycling is somehow green and are entitled to do what they like?
I blame the Gardaí as they do not enforce the rules of the road on cyclists anymore.
The roundabouts around Tralee are far to heigh and make it difficult fo see on coming cars
and also have to many signs on them