Dr. Lorraine D'Arcy:

I agree with the Deputy. Quite a lot is happening, but it might not be very visible in the public realm. Shared bikes are a great opportunity for people to try things out. Shared bike schemes in urban areas have great potential when they are linked with our public transport network for that last mile. There is also significant potential for them to take a second car in households off the road. We discussed equity of space. Car parking is the storage of private vehicles and private property. When people start to park on footpaths, that is generally a second car that does not fit on a driveway.

There is significant potential for e-bikes in places like Cork, where the topography can be a bit difficult for some people, in particular those who have not cycled for a number of years. There is a huge growth in the number of women aged in their 50s and 60s cycling on e-bikes. The cost of a good cargo e-bike is equivalent to the cost of a private car. Many households are now tied into that asset and will not necessarily get value from an e-bike. They are probably not willing to take the immediate risk of selling a car to buy an e-bike if it is not going to be suitable for them. A shared scheme where people can rent bikes and give them a go would be brilliant. Trips to school are a key issue.