Getting more commuters to travel on bicycles will not necessarily reduce private car use in Cork, but would more likely take people away from walking or using public transport instead, new research has found. “Public discourse frequently assumes mass cycling uptake will displace car trips over short distances,” the research paper said. According to NTA figures, 65.4% of car trips in 2022 were under 10km, but these accounted for only 20.1% of total car kilometres. Ireland’s “deeply-rooted car dependency”, the study noted, is the result of decades of car-oriented development in this country, which has meant driving remains dominant while cycling rates are persistently low. It concluded measures could be taken to try to encourage cycling over car use in the short term.

Source: Irish Examiner December 24, 2025 15:22 UTC