Warm weather keeps the public away from ‘car ban’ meetings

There was a poor turnout at public consultation sessions this week on the new €250 million Galway Transport Strategy – which includes a ban on cars from core city centre streets.

Transport officials believe the warm weather kept people away from the information meetings this week.

Under the plans, Eglinton Street, Eyre Square and Forster Street, will be reserved exclusively for public transport vehicles including taxis and buses, by 2019.

Access to Salmon Weir Bridge may also be restricted to public transport, but this measure may be dependent on the go-ahead of a city bypass.

Closing the other three streets to private traffic will proceed regardless of the fate of the bypass, Galway Transportation Unit head, Jim Molloy confirmed.

The idea is to improve bus services, and encourage people to transition from private cars to public transport.

“Right now there is a big problem at Eglinton Street – there are so many cars you can’t guarantee bus times. This will free-up space for cross-city buses. This is not bypass-dependent. This is something that can be done and we hope to do, regardless of whether the bypass progresses.”

The public-transport only streets are among a myriad of measures unveiled to the public at consultation sessions held on Wednesday and Thursday. The Galway N6 Action group attended the consultation and reiterated their opposition to a city bypass.

“We had hoped to get more engagement from the public but with that heat, they stayed away,” conceded Mr Molloy. The information from the public consultation will be available on the Council’s website, however, and feedback is invited.”

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune