Remember that you’renotinthe ‘Tour de France’

THE behaviour of cyclists on footpaths around Killarney town is putting pedestrians in danger according to local councillors, who have urged council management to erect signs in a bid to ensure that cyclists stay off footpaths.

Details of a number of close-call accidents were cited by councillors at the recent Killarney Municipal Meeting.

Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan said that he had witnessed a cyclist cycling into an elderly person coming out of a pharmacy, and that the cyclist then took off without stopping.

He said he was ‘all for cycling’ but not on footpaths, adding that bye-laws in the town must be adhered to.

Cllr Marie Moloney (Labour) said she, too, had witnessed a close call between a cyclist and a mother pushing her child in a push-chair.

“The cyclist swerved and avoided the push-chair. The mother was shaking. The child could have been hit, the cyclist was going quite fast,” she said.

Cathaoirleach Brendan Cronin said that cyclists must think they are in the ‘ Tour De France’ when they’re using the Fossa Way given the speed at which they travel.

Cllr Donal Grady blamed ‘foreigners’ for cycling on footpaths – a statement that Cllr Cronin said was not appropriate.

“The reference to foreigners has to be left out. All nationalities are welcome here. It is about cyclists.”

Cllr Grady said the message had to go out loud and clear that this behaviour has to stop.

“We have wonderful cycle paths. Cyclists shouldn’t be allowed to cycle where they shouldn’t,” he said.

Councillors called for signs to be erected and for the message to go out to cyclists that they cannot cycle on footpaths. Council management said that they had liaised with An Garda Siochana in relation to the issue and would continue to do so. Manager Angela McAllen said that some signs would be erected in locations, in consultation with local gardaí. Cllr Michael Gleeson suggested that bikes should have bells to signal they are coming.