The Green Party today called on the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide proper funding for municipal bike schemes including DublinBikes. The expansion of the highly successful DublinBikes scheme has stalled due to a lack of funding from central Government.Cllr Ciarán Cuffe, chair of the Dublin City Council Transport Committee said:“It is high time that the Department of Transport took sustainable transportation seriously. The expansion of the DublinBikes Scheme which kicked off in 2010 has ground to a snail's pace over the last few years. The 14 stage expansion plan should have been completed by now but instead we are being denied funding from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. If Minister Ross wishes to take sustainability seriously he should properly fund the DublinBikes expansion rather than gold-plated motorway projects.“The 'Smarter Travel' Transport policy has disappeared from the homepage of the Department's website along with the word sustainability. Sustainable transport is left with the crumbs of the transport cake, receiving less than 1% of current funding.“If we want to make our cities more liveable and tackle climate change we must expand these schemes. Their role in reducing congestion and improving human health through exercise must be recognised. It is time for Minister Ross to step up to the plate.“We cannot continue to fund this scheme with funding from soft drinks companies, membership fees and advertising panels. It is the equivalent of funding motorways through cake sales. Sustainable transport deserves at least 10% of the overall transport budget from central government.”ENDS

Page last updated 12th August 2016