Madam, – While I agree with Stiofán Ó Dálaigh (October 9th) that funding for good cycle lanes has to come from somewhere, in fact it already comes from Europe under the European Union Sustainable Development strategy adopted in 2006.
Surely he is not suggesting that we tax cyclists as well?
We need to encourage commuters to cycle, not the opposite. Further to this, cycle lanes are not exclusively for the use of cyclists.
We share them with residents, whose driveways cut across them, commuters whose bus stops bisect them and those poor, tax burdened motorists who park on them. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Stiofán Ó Dálaigh (October 9th) suggests that “cyclists – as road users – should in some form contribute towards the improvement of facilities that exist exclusively for their own use”.
I am more than curious as to how he concluded that cyclists do not contribute to the state coffers.
Like many cyclists, I pay considerable amounts of tax – income tax, capital gains tax, value added tax (on the purchase cost, maintenance cost and spare parts costs of my bike, amongst other things) and strangely enough, motor tax.
Perhaps Mr O Dálaigh would like to see a ‘walk in the park’ tax, and a ‘swim in the sea’ tax also? -
Yours, etc,
