Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has described as “unacceptable” the behaviour of drivers who park their vehicles in designated cycle lanes.

Mr Flanagan retweeted a photograph on Saturday of the cycle lane on Dublin’s Upper Camden Street, which was blocked by three vehicles, with the message “cycle lanes must be kept clear for cyclists only”.

The photograph tweeted by Mr Flanagan was originally posted by Twitter user Ciarán Ferris on Friday with the message: “Just a normal day on the 24-hour mandatory cycle lane on Upper Camden Street – three vehicles in total, several more parked in the bus lane on Lower Camden Street and six vehicles parked in the South Great George’s Street bus lane, but sure who cares, eh?”

Image: Ciarán Ferris/Twitter The I Bike Dublin cycle campaign group responded to Mr Flanagan’s tweet by reminding the Minister that the parking of vehicles in bike lanes was “not a single event, it is the culture in our roads and seen as acceptable by law enforcement. Only proper enforcement and stronger penalties can change this. We are counting on you.”

The Dublin Cycling group suggested the Government make cycle and bus lanes 24/7 and remove the time-plating designating them a cycle area only during certain hours. “The current practice of part-time bike/bus lanes that become a free-for-all outside of operation hours reinforces the notion that they are at drivers’ disposal,” tweeted the group.