Dublin riders protest "Cyclists dismount" signs on tramway

Cyclists in Dublin have held a protest after signs were erected on a section of the city’s new tramway telling them to dismount from their bikes and proceed on foot instead.

The protest took place on Nassau Street, which is on the route of the Luas Cross City line, reports thejournal.ie.

Organised by the group I Bike Dublin, the event saw the three dozen or so riders who took part dismount close to College Green then push their bikes along Nassau Street.

Organiser Stephen McManus said: “It is quite obvious that cycling was a complete afterthought, that no planning was put in place and it is today very dangerous as there were a number of accidents.

“And now they have decided to make themselves safer they put signs saying cyclists dismount, so basically exonerating themselves of any responsibility.

“So what we are doing is making a statement here by dismounting. There is nowhere to go so we are going to be walking on the street and making a point that it is an absurd policy. They can’t just turn their backs and close their eyes on the issue.”

So far this year, 16 cyclists have lost their lives on the Republic of Ireland’s roads in collisions involving motor vehicles. In 2016, there were 10 cyclist fatalities in the country, but three of those did not involve a motor vehicle.

“It’s a crisis, a 130% increase in anything should send alarm bells going off but it doesn’t seem to be happening,” McManus said. “We are hoping we won’t see any more for a while but the environment is there for creating more tragedies unfortunately.”

A spokesperson for the National Transit Authority (NTA), which manages the Luas service, said that the signs were advisory only.

They added: “In this area, cycling in the tram line involves dealing with a restricted width between kerbline and tram track, with a high number of trams, buses/coaches and taxis which will all be using the same street space.

“This gives rise to the possibility of bicycle wheels becoming caught in the groove of the tram track leading to accidents and incidents.”