This article is from page 9 of the 2007-11-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 9 JPG
THERE are now more Clare teenag- ers driving to school and college than those cycling.
According to the most recent report from the 2006 Census, 134 students aged between 13 and 18 drive to school and college each day, com- pared to the 126 who cycle.
The statistics show that only 15 teenage girls out of 4,047 female students cycle each day to school or college.
Yesterday, Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said that many of the students may be breaking the law as they would be on provisional driving licenses and must be accompanied by a qualified motorist.
“This is an issue for the gardai to enforce, but I also believe that driv- ing should be taught in schools.”
Cllr Meaney added, “From an en- vironmental point of view, it 1s not a sustainable activity to have more students cycling to school than those OTe Ybatem detour
“Schools also need to look at their own models where students must bring one large school bag and may- be a gym bag to school and that mili- tates against students cycling.”
One of Clare County Council’s top officials and county engineer, Tom Carey, 1S one of the relatively small
number of people who cycles to work Oye: uss cAU er amok ice
The census found that out of 49,138 people at work and school, only 536, or just over one per cent, go to work by bicycle each day.
The census found that out of the 49,138, 34263 or 69 per cent of peo-
ple use a car to travel to work or school each day.
Nine per cent of people walked to work or school, while eight per cent drove a lorry to work.
The figures also showed that of chil- dren aged between five and 12, only 87 out of 12,601 kids cycle to school, with 2,429 walking to school.
Mr Carey said, “I would like to see more people cycling and I try to give a lead in that area.”
Ennis Town Council recently put the county’s first cycle lane in place on the Tulla Road in Ennis and Mr Carey said that it would be wrong to conclude there were more students driving to school than cycling due to the number of cycle lanes available.
Mr Carey said that a cycling strat- egy for Ennis had recently been put in place, while a road safety working eroup in co-operation with gardai was developing cycling courses in school.
Mr Carey said that the provision of cycling lanes was not as simple as painting a line on the road.
He said, ““Guidelines and standards have to be adhered to.”
He added that a cycle trail between Shannon and Ennis geared for tour- ists has been put 1n place.