Connect with us

News

Kilcummin man has electric idea

Published

on

E

EXCLUSIVE

By Sean Moriarty

A Kilcummin man is behind an electric bike project in Dublin that he hopes will change commuting habits in the capital.

Damian Fleming is based in Dublin where is works as an industrial plumber.

He lives in Santry, in the north of the city, but works on large long-term construction projects in the centre.

He had grown increasingly frustrated at the length of time it takes him to get to and from work each day as a bus trip could take anything up to 50 minutes and taking his car is not an option due to the lack of on-site parking.

During the first lockdown, last spring, he found himself with plenty of free time and started to investigate ways to make his daily commute a little easier.

Using his mechanical engineering skills he figured out a way to attach an electric motor to any push bike and started using that for his daily commute.

“I can do the journey now in about quarter of the time, the bus could stop several times on the way in but there is a cycle lane all the way in, so no stopping,” he told the Killarney Advertiser.

Buoyed by his own success he investigated ways of turning his new hobby into a small part-time business and has launched Extreme E-Bikes Dublin.

He imports electric motors which can be fitted to any bike and through another contact has access to rechargeable batteries. He is now offering a fit-out service to anyone who wants to convert any bike to electric power.

His products are suitable for the commuter market but more powerful motors are also available for off-road mountain biking.

“I can convert anything from road-legal 250-watt pedal assist bikes to off-road 5000-watt twist-throttle bikes,” he added.

Advertisement

News

Contactless payments launched on Local Link services

Published

on

By

Passengers using TFI Local Link Kerry services in Killarney and across the county can now pay for their journeys using contactless card payments.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed the rollout this week, allowing commuters to simply tap their debit card, credit card, or mobile devices, such as Apple Pay and Google Pa, when boarding.

The move is designed to offer more convenience for those using high-frequency rural and regional routes.

In Killarney, the new payment option will be available on the TFI Anseo town services, which have seen a significant increase in passenger numbers since their introduction.

The contactless system is currently available for single journey fares, while those using daily or weekly passes can continue to use the Leap website or the TFI Leap Top Up App.
Alan O’Connell, General Manager of TFI Local Link Kerry, welcomed the modernisation of the fleet.

“The introduction of contactless payments is another welcome step forward for public transport in Kerry,” he said. “It complements other major projects in the county, including the expansion of TFI Local Link services and the delivery of TFI Anseo in Killarney, which is proving to be another great initiative.”

While the new technology offers a modern alternative, traditional payment methods are not being phased out. Cash payments, TFI Leap cards, and Free Travel Cards all remains fully valid across the network.

Continue Reading

News

How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

Published

on

By

Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

Continue Reading

Last News

Sport