Dublin City Council has opened what used to be known as the “traffic school” but is now being referred to as the Mobility School.
Years ago it was in Clontarf — as covered in this RTE clip from 1980 — but the first new one to open in the city is located at Eamonn Ceannt Park and the council said it is designed to promote road safety and cycling education.
The city council is also late coming to the revival of traffic schools, with a number of them opened across the country, including more suburban Dublin councils, in recent years.
Waterford County Council launched what was branded Ireland’s first outdoor “Learn to Cycle track” in Dungarvan in 2022, and this was followed by two opening in the Fingal County Council area, one at Millennium Park in Blanchardstown and other in the park adjacent to Brackenstown Road in Sword.
The city council said it wants to create awareness about road safety among cyclists and promote the use of bicycles.
“The Mobility School consists of a replica of the real road with signs, signals and pedestrian crossings to assist people to understand the rules of the road and encourage safe road behaviour. It is also a great way to enjoy cycling and have fun,” the council said.
The council said: “This project will benefit everyone including children and adults who reside and attend schools in the local area and Greater Dublin Area (GDA). The facility offers a safe, controlled environment where participants can learn the essential rules of the road while improving their cycling skills.’
The Mobility School was officially launched by Cllr Fiona Connelly representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin Emma Blain.
Brendan O’Brien, head of traffic and transport at Dublin City Council, said: “The Mobility School will provide a valuable learning resource for people of all ages, helping them become more confident and responsible road users. This will also help to increase use of cycle lanes across the city. The Mobility School will encourage active travel and will remind people that cycling can be both practical and fun.’’
David Dinnigan, from Dublin City Council’s Culture Community Leisure and Area Services, said: “In the long term, this project aims to increase the number of cyclists across all communities and help them gain the confidence, skills, and experience to cycle safely on real roads. This School will provide a safe space to everyone including young kids to adults to grow their cycling abilities and will be accessible to everyone.”
Bernard Brady, from Dublin City Council’s Parks Department, said: “This initiative is a great way to connect people with their local parks and to promote sustainability and active travel. It is just not about the cycling, it is about creating vibrant, safer and greener communities.’’
Whilst welcome it has been on the agenda for about 10 years now it looks incomplete in the pictures. I dont see any pedestrian infrastructure like paths raised crossings etc to trully teach. But at least its there