Sir, – I read in disbelief recent letters (August 13th and 17th) in response to the article "Sand-hued cycle paths changing the face of south Dublin coast" (News, August 8th).
The letter writers lament the lack of public consultation and local democracy in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council’s implementation of high-quality, walking and cycling infrastructure.
They are missing the point.
Do your readers recall local public consultation on the smoking ban? Where was the public consultation on the wearing of seatbelts? Perhaps your readers are relieved that “local democracy” has not won out over our drink driving laws? These are critical public health interventions that have saved many people from death, serious illness and injury.
The biggest public health crisis we have known continues, one which puts our over-capacity health system under further strain. With winter ahead and a backlog of waiting lists, our frontline staff continue to prepare for admissions of people suffering from Covid-19.
We urgently need high-quality, walking and cycling infrastructure to allow people to maintain physical distancing and to reduce traffic congestion, particularly given the reduced capacity of public transport.
Above all, we need people who can walk or cycle to do so, in order to maintain and improve our collective public health. Air pollution from traffic emissions increases the risk of cancer, respiratory conditions, cardiac conditions, and neurodegenerative conditions. We need cleaner air and we need our streets to encourage us to be physically active while physically distant.
Traffic is not simply a local issue. It is a national public health issue. Dynamic roll-out of practical interventions that can be trialled, evaluated and improved should be applauded. Slow, consultative processes will only serve to delay progress, when we need it most. – Yours, etc,
SÍLE GINNANE,
Ennis,
Co Clare.
Sir, – A letter writer (August 17th) links Dublin road traffic plans with the level of contributions of motorists versus other road users. Some EU countries calculate the net benefits and costs of different modes of transport. Consistently these reports have shown that active travel modes such as cycling and walking are net contributors to society and the national budget. They take into account infrastructure investment in roads and then look at all the associated costs such as the cost of pollution, traffic congestion, road maintenance, impact on health system costs, among other issues. People choosing to walk and cycle to their destinations are not causing pollution, traffic congestion, wear and tear on roads and are less likely to have to visit our hospital system due to their healthier lifestyles. Therefore it is unsurprising that cycling and walking as active travel modes are a net benefit to our society whereas even with the level of taxation associated with motoring in Ireland, the use of a car as a form of transport is a net cost to society.
The reality is that all taxpayers are paying for the road infrastructure of which motor taxation is a part of that contribution. Motor taxation, like most taxation, goes into the central exchequer funds which are then dispersed for budgets including for road budgets which local authorities have some management over. Thankfully in Ireland, access to our public services and infrastructure is not on the basis of how much a person earns and contributes in taxation, which in my view would be a very unfair and morally questionable policy to apply to society. – Yours, etc,
TERRY O’FLOINN,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.