Cycling needs to be seen as a mainstream and healthy means of transport as well as a form of recreation, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen said today.
Speaking at the Velo City 2005 conference in Dublin today, Mr Cullen said that with 600,000 deaths annually throughout Europe attributed to lack of exercise and 20 per cent of European children overweight, "transport policy needs to more fully appreciate the health benefits of cycling".
Mr Cullen said Dublin has about 4 per cent bicycle use compared to 30 per cent for other European cities, adding that the figure is as low as 1 per cent in other cities in the State.
"What is so special about The Netherlands and Denmark? Is there a fundamental cultural difference that makes their experience unique and non-transferable? I doubt it," Mr Cullen said.
"A doubling of bicycle use in Dublin over the next few years would make a major contribution to reducing traffic congestion but would still leave us way below the rates in the best cities," he added.
"Our road designers and traffic engineers need to have cycling at the forefront of their transport solutions," he said.
The week-long conference started on May 31st and came to a close today. It heard over 180 papers from European transport experts on developing and integrating cycling as a means of transport.
