Department of Transport recognised as a Cycle Friendly Employer with EU-certified Gold Standard Award

The Department of Transport has been recognised as an EU-certified Gold Standard Cycle Friendly Employer (CFE) from Cycling Solutions Ireland. The Department is the first Government Department to receive the award with several other Departments working towards accreditation.

The Cycle-Friendly Employer project is an EU certification scheme developed by the European Cyclists’ Federation which sets out the European standard for cycle-friendly workplaces. The cycle-friendly model has been developed and tested across Europe and is an EU-wide platform for evaluation, auditing, and accreditation.

Certification under the Cycle Friendly Employer Scheme is built around several cycle-friendly measures. The Department of Transport was recognised following an audit across a number of areas with improvements made across facilities (showering, drying rooms, bike parking and maintenance stands) as well as development of a new intranet site, CycleHub, to encourage information sharing and interaction among cyclists in the Department. A number of educational and promotional initiatives for staff and visitors to the Department will also drive participation in cycling.

The award follows the Department’s recent launch of the new National Sustainable Mobility Policy which will make it easier for people to walk, cycle or take public transport daily and reduce the reliance on petrol or diesel cars. As Ireland looks to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2030, the policy’s action plan outlines ways to improve and expand sustainable mobility options across the country by providing safe, green and accessible alternatives to car journeys. The policy includes an action to promote the uptake of the Cycle Friendly Employer certificate in workplaces.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said: “I believe the Public Service has a significant role to play as sustainability leaders, supporting more of us to cycle to work and to meetings. This gold standard accreditation highlights the Department of Transport’s own strong ethos and commitment to reducing our transport related carbon emissions as we work towards realising the targets outlined in the Climate Action Plan. If we are to chart the course for carbon neutrality by 2050, we all have to take action. I am pleased that those who work in my Department are encouraged and supported in travelling to work by active means.”

Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton TD said: “The Department has been recognised as leading the way to a green and sustainable workplace. Cycling is an environmentally friendly way to commute to work and it is one of the best ways to reduce our carbon emissions. Sustainable mobility is not only critical to the climate agenda but is also offers an opportunity to improve employee wellbeing and I would encourage other public and private bodies to work towards accreditation.”

Michael O’Boyle, CEO of Cycling Solutions Ireland said “We’re delighted to award gold cycle-friendly accreditation to the Department of Transport. The goal of the CFE programme is to enable and encourage employees to choose the bike over the car and the Department of Transport, along with other Government Departments, is leading the way to decarbonising the workplace. The new National Sustainable Mobility Policy will help employers to reduce carbon emissions and improve employees’ health and well-being and we’re proud to be working with the Department, the National Transport Authority and our European colleagues to create a carbon-neutral future.”

The Cycle Friendly Employer Accreditation is suitable for all companies and organisations of all sizes. Accreditation is also available to hospitality providers (hotels, hostels, B&Bs, cafes) who wish to prepare for the forecasted growth in cycling tourism.

To learn more about Cycle-Friendly accreditation, visit www.cyclingsolutionsireland.ie. For more information about the Department of Transport, visit www.gov.ie/transport,