— Level of funding “token increase” “kick in the teeth for people who cycle”, says cycling advocates.
Cycling is to get less than 2% of the Department of Transport’s €384m budget increase in Budget 2020 — and this is further watered down by including tourism-focused greenways under the header of “sustainable mobility projects”.
Cycling groups had looked for 10% of the transport budget to be spent on cycling, while CyclingForAll.ie — which is linked to this website — looks for 20% for walking and cycling combined.
As well as walking and cycling measures, the sustainable mobility projects header often also include public transport access measures.
According to reports €8m is to be set aside for grants for electric cars, while €3m infrastructure for electric cars — meaning electric cars will get more funding than cycling.
Cyclist.ie — an umbrella group for most cycling campaigner groups in Ireland — tweeted: “Land Transport Budget €1,466,523. The 10% sought for cycling amounts to €146 MILLION. The Min has announced €9M – where is the rest? Where is the fundamental change in expenditure? Where is decarbonising transport in Ireland. Still the laggards in Europe.”
Ciarán Ferrie, co-founder of I Bike Dublin, said on his personal account: “The €9m allocated in #Budget2020 for cycling infrastructure includes “Greenways & Urban Cycling”. The government again muddying the waters by mixing up tourism infrastructure with transport infrastructure. This is a kick in the teeth for people who cycle.”
Dublin-based councillor Patrick Costello (Green) tweeted: “Cycling per budget: 2015-€19m, 2016-Almost halved to €10.5m, 2018-Fell further to €7m… 2020-A token increase to €9m on greenway & urban cycling. We spent more in the past & need even more again to make a real difference in cycling, walking & to promote modal shift! ”
Minister @Paschald “I am providing €9m for sustainable mobility projects around the country including for greenways and new urban cycling projects. I am allocating an additional €3m for electric vehicle infrastructure.” #Budget2020
— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) October 8, 2019
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Utterly despicable.
Any grant scheme for e-bike/e-cargobike purchase?
Quite disheartening when you know that Flanders (part of Belgium) is reserving 300 million next year just for cycling infrastructure.
Some of the funding for BusConnects will benefit cyclists at least.