The Green Party has called for 10% of all transport funding to be allocated to walking and cycling. The call came from their Transport Spokesperson in the wake of recent road accidents that claimed the lives of an 11 year old schoolboy Tim Ross in Co. Offaly, and 30 year old Donna Fox who died in Dublin’s North Inner City earlier this month.Speaking at a lunchtime protest cycle from Dublin’s City Hall to the Minister for Transport’s offices on Leeson Lane, Cllr. Ciarán Cuffe said: “Cycling and walking deserve a fair share of transport funding. Currently they receive less than 1% of transport funding. We believe that at least 10% of transport funding must be spent on cycling and walking. This will allow us make our roads safer and reach Government targets for sustainable travel.“In Dublin we are seeing improvements in cycling facilities, but these changes are happening far too slowly. We are calling on Shane Ross, the Minister for Transport, to devote more funds to walking and cycling. Currently the ‘Smarter Travel Programme’ receives €13 m per year or less than 1% of the Department of Transport’s Budget. Roads receive €746 m or more than fifty times as much. This is not sustainable. In addition the small budget of €13m is being robbed to pay for public transport, and transport research which the Department openly admits is was not set up to do“We must invest in decent cycle lanes, footpaths, near our schools, in our towns and cities, and where people live. At least €100m per years must be spent on providing for the needs of vulnerable cyclists and pedestrians. This will allow us to build state-of-the-art facilities like a decent Liffey Cycleway, A Dodder Greenway, the Royal Canal Cycle Route, and the Sutton to Sandycove coastal route around Dublin Bay. If we don’t do this we will fail to meet our targets on climate change, we will fail to meet our goals on childhood obesity, and we fail to honour the policies that are enshrined in European and Irish Law.“Today is ‘European Day without a Road Death’ all over the continent. Here in Ireland we must adopt a ‘Vision Zero’ approach to road deaths and injuries. Such an approach requires increased funding and support from our Minister for Transport Shane Ross.”ENDSPress release issued 21st September 2016, page last updated 10th October 2016