Sir, – I have just become aware that Dublin City Council is about to construct, across the street from my house, a Dublinbikes scheme depot on Mount Brown. This will result in the elimination of four on-street parking spaces there. With the planned expansion of the scheme, particularly as it affects my part of Dublin 8, a good number of other on-street parking spaces are set to go.
As a cyclist for more than 50 years, before giving up cycling about a decade ago mainly because of safety concerns, I am very much in favour of the bikes scheme. But it has been introduced, and is now to be expanded, with the unfortunate side-effect of reducing the number of on-street parking spaces. As it is, there is an insufficiency of spaces in this area; the planned expansion will worsen it. Why was it felt that this should/would be acceptable?
By purchasing biennial permits from the council, I, as well as two immediate neighbours, regularly park on that particular part of Mount Brown. We will now be forced to compete with others for the 15 or so remaining spaces further along. If none are available it will mean having to find a space some distance away and paying the resultant parking charge there.
For me, that game may not be worth the candle and I will then most likely decide to call it a day as a motorist and suffer the resultant social isolation. As it is, following a threatening incident, I no longer use the Luas Red Line at night. – Yours, etc,
MICK BOURKE,
Ceannt Fort, Mount Brown,
Dublin 8.