Sir, – A new study puts Dublin as the third-worst city in the world for traffic congestion (News, February 13th). Traffic here is worse than in Paris or London. At a time when more and more people are setting aside time to take exercise, many still prefer traffic jams to commuting by bicycle.
Chances are that it is not the inclement weather that discourages cycling so much as the fear of being knocked down. Cycle lanes are either unprotected or non-existent. Mixing bikes with cars and lorries looks and feels dangerous. It would be interesting to see how Dublin compares to other cities on cycling safety.
If cycling were perceived as less hazardous, the roads would be less congested, rush-hour less fraught, and driving more pleasant. – Yours, etc,
COLIN WALSH,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.