Sir, - I congratulate Damien O Tuama (October 11th) for stating all the good reasons why cyclists should not be taxed for their road use, as suggested by Alison McDonald (October 5th). Mr O Tuama should be the next Minister for the Environment, since his thinking is far more progressive than any of the previous incumbent's on the subject of reducing road congestion.
If we are to seriously tackle accidents, pollution and congestion, we should rapidly move towards paying cyclists and taxing motorists for their use of road space, through the use of suitable incentives. Everyone who switches from driving to cycling it removes another tonne of metal off the road and with it the added risks which it carries, either in pollution or congestion. The ease with which bicycle lanes have been put into existing streets shows just how much they could do to reduce congestion if only more motorists would use them.
People who cycle to work even though they have a car should be rewarded for their civic behaviour. - Yours, etc.,
John B. Gilmore, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Co Louth.