Sir, – Having recently returned from a few days exploring the Gironde area of France, including three days in beautiful Bordeaux, it was heartening to see others exploring the region on modified, regular and electric bikes and enjoying the many small towns and villages, guesthouses, local retail units, cafés, restaurants and museums.
France is storming ahead with charging facilities for electric cars and continuing to enhance their shared active travel paths.
I sincerely hope that this is something Ireland can look to regarding greenways over the coming years.
Enabling and promoting free electric bike charging, in particular for longer rural journeys, would send out a welcome signal to this growing tourism sector.
If we could emulate some of the thoughtful universal design systems for all ages and abilities, bio-diversity planting, varied route types, traffic calming and sustainable drainage systems the French have built in, we could have a tourism product to be proud of for local residents and tourists alike. – Yours, etc,
JUSTINE DELANEY,
Galway.