Wheely good times ahead for cyclists
IF THE politicians can be believed there are wheely good times ahead for cyclists in Ireland in the coming years. Viewing cycling as a way to lessen the problems of urban congestion and harm to the environment, politicians have been engaging in auction politics offering all kinds of promises to whet the whistle of cyclists across the country.
The Cycle to Work Scheme has proven a huge success and is available to be availed of at local independent cycle shops across the county. The Government Bike to Work scheme allows people to purchase high end bicycles at a fraction of their price.
People prepared to pedal to work can save up to an impressive 50 per cent of the bicycle cost AND accessories, and spread the cost of the purchase over a year by having the price deducted out of gross wages over up to a 12 month period. Availing of the scheme, which is supported by the majority of employers, is a tax deductible affair.
If you are in the higher tax bracket you can save around 50 per cent of the cost of your bike, while those on the lower tax bracket can save approximately 30 per cent of the cost of the bicycle and all accessories.
The numbers saddling up to get to work increased by 43 per cent between the 2011 and 2016 censuses from 39,803 to 56,837.
The Irish Cycling Advocacy Network is calling for political parties to allocate 10 per cent of the transport capital budget to cycling, and a further 10 per cent for walking, to put Ireland in line with a UN environmental target. This would amount to about €147 million this year.
Fianna Fáil has said it will invest €50 million in a national cycling strategy, which will be used to expand cycling infrastructure. It has promised to give cyclists priority at lights and to improve access to the bike to work scheme by reducing time limits for availing of the scheme between purchases from the current five years.
Fine Gael says it would publish a five-year plan to more than double the numbers cycling to work on a daily basis from the current 57,000 to at least 120,000. The party pledges to dedicate 10 per cent of the national transport budget to the development of cycling infrastructure, to expand the public bike schemes to large towns and to give local authorities funds for maintaining bikes.
The Green Party puts huge emphasis on cycling in its manifesto. The main promise is to assign 10 per cent of the capital transport budget (€167 million a year at present) to cycling, and to make every local authority draw-up a cycling policy. It wants to introduce a programme of bicycle maintenance and safe cycling education in schools to improve behaviour and safety on the State’s roads. The manifesto says cyclists should be allowed to make a left turn when traffic lights are red, people to be allowed bring bicycles on all trains and that electric bicycles should be incentivised.
People Before Profit and the Social Democrat party also have big promises for cyclists.
As the warmer weather and brighter mornings arrive with Spring, cyclists will be looking forward to a great 2020 with measures put in place to ensure more respect and safety on our roads.