Sligo Community Voices - Sligo Cycling Campaign

And that's what it's all about is the safety.

I was actually coming through Ballisadere today and there was a cyclist in front of me.

And then you've got the roundabout and then you've got an island in the middle of the road.

And it's like the cars behind me were getting frustrated, but I wasn't going to go too close to the cyclist.

And also you can't overtake him when there's cars coming or when the island is there.

So it's all about giving people a bit of space as well, because...

I should imagine when you're on a bike, if there is a car right behind you, it can be very off-putting.

Do you cycle everywhere, Una, and how do you find that?

Yeah,

I mean, I've been

cycling all my adult life.

So for me, you kind of get used to traffic.

I commute in and out from Ross's Point every day to the college by e-bike now, which is, for those of you that haven't been on an electric bike, try it.

It is a game changer.

They are great fun.

You know, I always say the problem with Sligo is the hills and the wind.

And when you're on an e-bike, neither of them matter.

You just turn the power up a little bit.

But having said that, the physical constraints aren't there anymore because we have e-bikes.

But now we do still have the safety constraints.

And if I ask people what puts them off cycling, one of the main things is safety.

And they're concerned that if a car passes you too close, you can feel a little bit uneasy.

And quite often, you know, it's fine if you're used to cycling, you know to take the centre, you know to move out a little bit and to take the road and to be a little bit assertive.

But you can't expect children to do that.

So what we'd love, I mean, my 15-year-old sometimes, or 16-year-old now, will sometimes cycle into town.