A new TV series called “Now You See Me” aired its first episode last night on RTÉ One. The show aims to highlight problems that cyclists and all roads users face in Ireland.
Presented by Simon Delaney and Blaithnaid Treacy, the show follows the stories of cyclists across Ireland. It wants to highlight both the negative and positive aspects of the services and infrastructure available to cyclists.
While the show follows the cyclists stories, it aims to show that improvements and changes in attitude are needed across the board when it comes to the safety of all road users. The show highlighted in the first episode that possible enforcement of legislation is needed in order to make the roads safer.
‘Now You See Me’ has sparked an online conversation on Twitter, with many praising it but also some saying they hope to see more balance in later episodes of the series. “Hearing people talk about enforcing legislation is refreshing. Great first episode #NYSM” said user Allison Phillips on Twitter last night.
“The majority of cyclists have cars. Being a cyclist isn’t a fixed identity and doesn’t stop them from being a driver too. It is a myth to say there’s a disconnect because they often do both. Driving is the taken mode of transport and by separating them, we are creating this polarisation of cyclists because they’re in the minority mode of transport.” said Robert Patrick, who is completing a Doctorate on the ‘Psychology Of Cycling’ in DCU.
The show also compared Irelands cycling habits and infrastructure with Copenhagen’s. Copenhagen is seen as one of the leading cities in the world when it comes to providing infrastructure for cyclists, with a huge number of people commuting as a result.
Alison Clair
Image Credit: greennews.ie
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