Gardai investigating after bus driver tailgated child cycling a bicycle

— Bus made low-speed contact with bicycle just after child dismounted.

Gardai and Dublin Bus are investigating an incident where a child on a bicycle was tailgated by a bus driver down Parnell Square East for approximately 100 metres.

The Gardai press office last month confirmed to IrishCycle.com that “Gardaí attached to Mountjoy Garda Station are investigating.” It is understood that police action against the driver will result in a caution.

A Dublin Bus spokeswoman also confirmed that the company was investigating the incident.

A high-resolution video of the incident was seen by this website last month, and a lower-resolution version was posted online last night in response to coverage of cycling by RTE’s Prime Time. The footage was shared with the Prime Time team, but was not used last night in a segment advertised as covering a “war” between cyclists and motorists.

A high-resolution version of the footage — which more clearly shows the proximity of the bus to the child’s bicycle and the bus clipping the bicycle as the child dismounted — was also shared with Gardai and Dublin Bus.

According to the witnesses, the bus driver told him that he is a careful driver, saw the children, and gave them space.

It was only afterwards, when the witnesses reviewed his rear-pointing, bicycle-mounted camera that he says he realised just how close the bus was to the child, who is unrelated to him. It was then when he reported the incident.

The child was cycling with his parent but was separated from them at the north end of the square before the bus driver started tailgating the child.


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2 comments

  1. Jayz…. And the thing is I believe that the driver believes that he’s a careful driver. It’s so often the case that people driving have no fecking clue about how dangerous and intimidating their metal boxes are when you have no protection.

    I often have people driving far too close to me. When I look in the window at the driver they’re grinning and smiling at Raven my dog in the front of the bike. The drivers are oblivious to the danger they’re putting me in.

    I strongly suspect that it’s similar with many close-passes and other dangerous incidents I encounter on the roads. Cycle-awareness NEEDS to be part of the driving test. People who drive need to get out there on a bike and cycle, and then they’ll fully understand.

    Reply
  2. Instead of an unbroken line of parked cars there should be a segregated cycle lane in places like this. It’s time to further reduce on street parking,many motorists insist on the right to drive in the city but see nothing strange about abandoning their car for hours where it prevents others from travelling in the city. We need something like a congestion charge based on how many hours you have your car in the city.

    Reply

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