Dublin and Cork could ‘grind to halt’ unless spending for public transport is increased

Significant investment is needed in public transport and infrastructure in Dublin and Cork city centres if they are to keep up with increasing development and passenger numbers, according to the cities’ chambers of commerce.

Dublin Chamber said the capital was at “saturation point” and would “grind to a halt” unless the sharp rise in passengers using rail, bus, and Luas is matched by an increase in spending on public transport.

The chamber was reacting to figures from the National Transport Authority that showed that 10m more passengers travelled on public transport last year than 2015.

The number of passengers using public transport has risen by 13% over the past five years from 207 million uses in 2012 to 234 million uses in 2016, the chamber said.

Dublin Chamber CEO Mary Rose Burke said: “Dublin’s public transport infrastructure is at saturation point on a daily basis. This is due to the significant lack of investment in our transport infrastructure over the past decade.

“A significant increase in investment is now required before the city grinds to a halt. The number of people coming into Dublin is growing all the time. As the economy continues to grow, the pressure on our transport network is increasing.”

She said Dublin was spending about €175m while competitor cities abroad such as Manchester and London were spending up to three times as much. The upcoming Capital Infrastructure Plan review must reflect the growing crisis.

Cork Chamber CEO Conor Healy agreed that the importance of public transport in Cork city centre should be reflected along with vital projects such as the Dunkettle Interchange, the M20 motorway between Cork and Limerick, Cork’s long-proposed Northern Ring Road, the N28 between Cork and Ringaskiddy and the N22 Ballyvourney-Macroom bypass.

Mr Healy said: “We have very significant development happening in Cork City that will bring a lot of new jobs and people in. We are going to need more options. We need to shift the car-use mindset.”

He said though bus and rail options had improved around the suburbs and county towns, light-rail plans mooted in the early 2000s for Cork City centre would be very welcome. That has been mentioned by Cork South Central TD Simon Coveney.