Transport chiefs earmark Park and Ride site to tackle traffic chaos

The National Transport Authority has identified a potential site at the Coolagh roundabout in Galway – just off the end of the motorway – for a Park and Ride facility.

The State agency hopes to be able to provide ‘hop-on’ bus services running every ten minutes to the city centre and to Parkmore Business Park, which suffers from lengthy peak-hour traffic delays.

Hugh Creegan, Deputy Chief Executive of the NTA, said that no final decision has been made on the location for a Park and Ride and any decision will have to be agreed with Galway City Council.

He expects that later this year, both authorities will be “in a much clearer position”.

Mr Creegan told a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport that for Park and Ride to work successfully, there must be bus lanes and priority measures in place.

“It simply will not work otherwise. Nobody will get out of a car and get into a bus just to be stuck in the same traffic. We need bus infrastructure, including bus lanes and priority through the city centre, to be in place before we can successfully introduce Park and Ride.

“We can put a site in tomorrow, but it would not be successful because there is no priority through the city.

“Designs have started with City Council on the bus priority with some of the routes. Possible Park and Ride sites have been looked at, but more needs to be done. Later this year, we and the Council will be in a much clearer position,” he said.

Mr Creegan was asked if Galway Airport would be considered as a site.

“We did a Park and Ride there approximately four years ago. It was unsuccessful then. I am not saying it might not be a little better now.

“We looked around the Coolagh roundabout on that side of the city. There was a big attraction to putting a site off that roundabout if that could be achieved. It would connect straight away to the city bus service we are putting in under that strategy,” he added.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.