Something seriously amiss with road policing

This week’s column in The Kerryman newspaper.

Michael Commane

The media has given much publicity over the last few days to the Crowe report, which is an independent review of the Roads Policing Unit to assess its effectiveness and integrity.

It’s a damning statement on how our roads are policed; some gardaí simply are not interested in their job and had no problem telling those carrying out the review of their feelings. The report includes many examples of unprofessional behaviour at all levels. We didn’t need the Crowe report to tell us that there is something seriously amiss with policing on our roads.

Since June 9 I have been cycling across Dublin city centre five days a week; to be exact from Dublin 14 to Dublin 1. I leave home every morning at approximately 7.30, arrive at work about 8am and leave in the evening close to 6pm. I’m cycling eight kilometres through the city centre and parts of the suburbs at busy commuting times.

What’s going on our roads, streets and footpaths has to be seen to be believed.

Last Friday, August 15 at 6.30pm I saw a young man on an electric scooter speeding down George’s Street, alongside him a horse on a rein, which he was controlling. It meant he was getting power from both horse and scooter. Not a garda in sight and if there had been, I presume scooter and horse would have continued on their merry way.

I don’t care what any cycling group will say, I have no problem stating that the majority of cyclists are now breaking traffic lights. If they see pedestrian lights are green and it’s red for them, they’ll proceed with speed. Unfortunately, there are many places where the traffic light system does not make sense. 

There is certainly the herd mentality about it all. If one or two cyclists break red, then others in the queue are likely to follow. I have seen cyclists jaycycle at junctions.

Why are the gardaí not stopping cyclists on electric bicycles and scooters, who are travelling at speeds above 25 km/h? It’s an every day occurrence to see scooters and bicycles on footpaths and traversing the wrong direction on one-way streets.

Large numbers of cyclists wear earphones, surely that should be made illegal.

Cycling up O’Connell Street one morning I stopped to ask two gardaí why the current situation was being tolerated. They both clearly explained they can do nothing about it and gave me a number of reasons why they are unable to stop law-breaking cyclists and scooters.

Why has government not put road tax and insurance on some categories of these bicycles that travel at speeds far in excess of 25 km/h?

And to make it all even more confusing; it’s against the law to travel above 25 km/h on an electric bicycle but it is not against the law for a cyclist to travel above 25 km/h on a conventional bicycle powered exclusively by her/his own power/skill/strength.

It’s dangerous on our roads. How long will it be before there is a serious incident for the State to stop this chaos? 

Hopefully new Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, who takes up his post on September 1, will place road safety high of his to-do list.