Gardai to take action on cyclists
GARDAI are to crackdown on cyclists using footpaths after complaints were aired at the annual public meeting of the Dundalk Joint Policing Committee.
Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan pledged to roll out a special operation similar to the one targeting motorists who park in disabled parking spaces.
He explained that plans to launch the operation had been postponed due to the latest COVID-19 restrictions, but he assured the meeting that it would now go ahead.
Cllr Maeve Yore had asked for an update on the plans to deal with cyclists using footpaths while Kieran Carroll of the St Nicholas Avenue Residents Association said it had become more of a problem with lockdown as there were more people out on their bikes.
‘It’s getting beyond a joke,’ he said, adding that he had seen Old Age Pensioners having to get out of the way of cyclists.
John Temple of the PPN recalled that it was three years since he first submitted a proposed motion for an education campaign for cyclists and motorists. Making the point
that there was often animosity between cyclists and motorists, he said they needed to learn to work together and be respectful to each other. ‘We have a number of cycling clubs locally and it would do no harm if they were to learn the rules of the road,’ he declared.
Chief Superintendent Mangan said he would take the concerns about cyclists using footpaths on board and bring it to the garda management team.
‘We will get it implemented. We will tell people we are going to do it so it won’t be a surprise,’ he said, adding that there will ‘ have to be a bit of tough love and persecutions.’