Sir, – A letter writer wonders how long we have had sidewalks in Dublin, noting its use in a news report (November 11th). Strange as it might seem, under the 1993 Roads Act, the portion of the road which is provided primarily for use by pedestrians is called the footway. A footpath, on the other hand, is described in the Act as a road over which there is a right of way for pedestrians, not being a footway. A footpath is usually on private land.
It seems that most of us for years have erroneously called a footway a footpath. Perhaps calling it a sidewalk, ie a walkway to the side of the road, is as acceptable as calling it a footway.
I wonder if some clever legal eagle could use this anomaly in the courts to get a client off the hook? A sidewalk to sidestep, a footway to freedom, or just another footpath to folly? – Yours, etc,
BOBBY CARTY,
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Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.