Taoiseach ‘cannot understand’ why Galway has no Park & Ride

The Taoiseach has said he cannot understand why a Park & Ride service for Galway has not been delivered – stating that it was “fundamentally a matter for the local authority”.

On foot of questioning in the Dáil last week from TD for Galway West Catherine Connolly (Ind), Taoiseach Micheál Martin said other cities had park and ride facilities up and running “for a long, long time”.

Other cities were moving faster, he said, changing their transport makeup in response to the climate emergency.

“There has to be a liaison with local authorities . . . sites have to be identified and routes have to be organised,” said Mr Martin when it was suggested that Galway had been waiting 17 years for such a service due to delays from the National Transport Authority (NTA).

“I do not understand why it has not happened in Galway. We will follow that up with the local authority and the NTA. There should be a Park & Ride facility in a city like Galway. Other cities have Park & Ride facilities.

“They are not the full answer, but they are important. Above all, other cities have moved faster in terms of pedestrianisation and changing the nature of cities. We need to do that far faster,” said the Taoiseach.

Deputy Connolly said Galway was a beautiful city “smothered with traffic” and said the City Council’s transport plan was not fit for purpose.

She said while she was Mayor in 2005, councillors had cooperated to include Park & Ride in the City Development Plan and 17 years later, it was no closer to being delivered.

She reiterated calls for a feasibility study on light rail – committed to by the Minister for Transport – for the city to be commenced.

“The Minister for Transport has repeatedly stated, including no later than two or three weeks ago, that there is no problem with money,” said Deputy Connolly, adding that 22,500 people in Galway signed a petition in support of light rail in 2018.

“I appeal to the Taoiseach to make words mean something. When the cross-party committee on climate change sat, there was a strong suggestion that Galway would be picked as a pilot project for sustainable development and traffic. Here is the golden opportunity,” said Deputy Connolly.

Mr Martin said there had been a long-running debate over the requirement of a ring road for Galway, but said it was not the case that it was either the ring road or light rail.

“I know there has been a fairly divisive row in Galway in respect of the ring road that has gone on for a long, long time. By the way, light rail and a proper road system are not mutually exclusive,” he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Connolly welcomed the recent reduction in public transport fares and called on the Government to go further.

“There has been a reduction in transport fares, which begs the question as to why public transport has not been made completely free of charge, even on a pilot basis, given the astronomical climate challenges we are facing.

“Public transport works,” she said.