Sir, – A frequently overlooked aspect of the debate on cycling in Galway is the sheer size of many of the cars currently driven in a medieval city where large swathes of the city’s road infrastructure is simply unable to accommodate them. Cyclists are often left without the necessary space to pass static lines of cars, as very large cars regularly need to encroach on kerbside markings to avoid breaching the middle of the road. Indeed, many of these vehicles are often left unable to pass each other on Galway’s narrow streets, thus automatically generating additional congestion before cyclists are even added to the mix. If we really wish to encourage a wider diversity of road users in our towns and cities, maybe it is worth further disincentivising people from driving excessively large vehicles in areas where the infrastructure is disproportionately burdened, and more sustainable modes of transport are directly being impeded. – Yours, etc,
FIONNUALA WALSH,
Galway.