Cyclists are often the target of the ire of many road users, and you can now add the government to that list as the Gardaí will soon be able to clamp down on those who don't obey the rules.
New legislation is set to be introduced that will see Gardaí able to hit cyclists with on-the-spot fines of up to €50 if they break red lights or cycle the wrong way on the road, as well as if they mount the footpath to get where they're going.
The cyclists will be given 56 days to pay the fine before they have to appear in court, and the new bill introducing the fines will be out in the coming weeks, according to the Department of Transport, after they have consulted with the Gardaí on the best way to go about doing it.
Speaking to The Independent, a spokesperson for Minister for Transport Pascal Donohoe said that as part of the reworking of the Road Traffic Bill, they "will look at all safety issues in conjunction with An Garda Siochana, concentrating firstly on those offences that already exist in current legislation" for cyclists, while Independent TD Finian McGrath said that he had been "inundated" with complaints about cyclists and welcomed the move as one that would bring about some equality on the road.
There is also the suggestion that the range of offences covered will then be expanded to include not wearing lights or proper safety gear, in particular high visibility jackets and vests, in the coming months after the fines are introduced to bring the rules for cyclists in line with those for other road users.
Do you agree that cyclists should be hit with fines if they break the rules or will this legislation end up getting pushed back even further again, given that it was supposed to come in to action last March? Tweet us in or comment below and let us know.
Via Independent.ie
