BY KIERAN O'MAHONY
PLANS to establish a bike depot on the Clonakilty to Inchydoney marshland road by a local bike group could promote active travel in the area, according to a Labour candidate in next year’s local elections.
Evie Nevin, who will stand in the Skibbereen area in next year's local elections, recently met with Clonakilty Bike Circus along with party leader, Ivana Bacik, who shared their proposals for enhancing active travel infrastructure in the region.
The proposed ‘silver bullet scheme’ envisions the establishment of a depot on the Clonakilty to Inchydoney marshland road. This depot would be for outdoor recreational cycling by the elderly and disabled communities, including more and different bikes. They have already been using a Tri-shaw for many years as part of the ‘Cycling Without Age Ireland’ and hope to have the depot up and running by spring.
‘As with its current operations, volunteers will assist community users without cost, while maintenance of the bikes will be performed by mechanics from Clonakilty Bike Circus. This depot will provide dry, year-round storage for the project’s vehicle and a staffed jumping-off point for cyclists,’ said Evie.
‘As well as facilitating assistive cycling, the project will encourage disabled volunteers' participation in the Bike Circus free apprentice programme in bike maintenance and repair. The silver bullet project will focus on the upkeep of assistive cycles, which often present special maintenance issues.’
Jack Kelleher of The Bike Circus said they have their own premises insurance and this will be different to the suspended Clonakilty Bike Scheme, which has stopped due to difficulties in finding an insurance company to work with them.
‘Our insurance is a manageable expense and we will be introducing people to the bikes and offering them for free, just like the Trishaw that people can use as part of Cycling Without Age,’ said Jack.
‘The idea with the depot is that we would become a greeting service for people out of town who are coming to either ride the accessibility bikes or come with their own bikes. We provide a quick safety check and maintenance on the bikes.’
Evie added that an initiative like this aligns with the objectives of Cork County Council’s climate action plan and aims to make cycling more accessible to all, while showcasing the natural beauty of the area.
‘The Clonakilty to Inchydoney marshland road is already designated for cycling and pedestrian use and offers a prime opportunity to create a hub for active travel. The proposed depot on the outskirts of the town could serves as a starting point for a network of sustainable transportation options in West Cork.’
