Readers say more conflicts caused at barriers, some e-scooter users are taking to footpaths, and pedestrians are pushed to the footpaths.Dublins Capel Street and Parliament Street have been turned into an obstacle course without explanation from city council officials, with 14 chicanes barriers placed along the car-free streets.The barriers are placed at junctions and other points along the streets. In the case of Capel Street, there are nine (9) sets of barriers across the 420 metres section of the street, which is car-free. On Parliament Street, there are five (5) sets of barriers along the 430-metre stretch.The barriers are not in compliance with the national guidelines on Access Control of Active Travel Facilities, which mandates a 5 metre gap between chicanes barriers or gates, or a ministerial directive which seeks universal access and free-flow for users of routes. While the removal of cars from the two streets is widely seen as successful, there has been an undercurrent of opposition to cycling on the streets since their Covid trials and when Capel Street was made car-free in 2022. Some users including some cyclists have made claims of speeding cyclists, but these are largely believed to be users of illegal mopeds, sometimes referred to as bicycle-shaped objects because they look like bicycles but are not.Confusion was compounded by widespread misreporting, which led some people to believe that cycling would not be allowed on the streets. Others have pointed out that this has not been helped by unclear signage on parts of the street, which did not or still does not make it clear to pedestrians that it is a shared street.ALSO READ: Targeting cyclists for what is mainly an illegal moped problem on Capel St isnt helpful for pedestrians This week, IrishCycle.com has been contacted by users of the street who are wondering how the arrangements came about, and most have described how the barriers are causing more issues than they have solved.The barriers are made up of temporary traffic cones, poles and other traffic barriers. Images and reader accounts show traffic control workers sitting on the street, including beside or near vans, but there are no signs of any work and no week-long events on this street. Readers images, videos (see below), and descriptions include how pedestrians are more so than ever sticking to the footpath rather than the shared path because of the congestion at the chicanes barriers, and how there are more conflicts between users of the shared path. People cycling are now having to take larger swerving turns to get around the barriers. IMAGE: Parliament Street with Capel Street in the background, and the main image above shows the reverse. These issues include wheelchair users, cyclists, scooter users, and illegal moped users ending up face-to-face with each other at the openings between the barriers. IrishCycle.com has also been given accounts of people on e-scooters taking to footpaths when other people are at the barriers.ALSO READ: Most two-wheel problems on Capel St are caused by bicycle-shaped objects, not bicyclesThis website attempted to seek comment from Dublin City Council near the close of business yesterday and again after lunch today. IrishCycle.com was also in contact with councillors from different parties who were unaware of the changes to the street before they were contacted by the public or saw it themselves, and had not been notified of the changes by officials. More updates when we get them.