Many businesses dissatisfied with transport spending

Despite massive investment in the transport network in Ireland many businesses are still dissatisfied with the level of government spending on roads, railways, ports, public transport and airports, a survey found today.

Of particular concern was the country’s roads, with 70% of businesses unhappy with non national roads, while 40% thought national roads were below standards, the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland Transport Users survey revealed.

According to the MORI questionnaire of 600 senior business people, 71% of companies had suffered as a result of traffic congestion, with an average six hours lost a month per respondent.

According to the survey, which was undertaken before the Transport 21 scheme was unveiled, four out of 10 were dissatisfied with the level of government investment in roads.

The priority, business leaders said, was general improvements in national, non-national roads, motorways and bypasses.

In the wake of the report, the Chambers also urged policy makers to plan for large-scale projects such as a tunnel linking Ireland’s road network to the rest of Europe via Wales – a scheme backed by three-quarters of those interviewed.

The survey found there was low use of public transport, with 64% of those questioned not using buses, trams or trains to commute to work, but a high level of support (86%) for more competition in the sector.

While the Chambers acknowledged the situation was improving, and that perceptions were lagging behind development, president Robin O’Sullivan said there was still a long way to go.

“We must have an efficient and competitive transport network, we must develop world class standards and we’re well short of that,” he said.

And the business organisation’s chief executive John Dunne said there were a number of specific areas which needed focusing on – public transport competition, the Atlantic Roadway and the improvement of non national roads.

“If we’re serious about driving regional development then the minister must publish a schedule for the construction of the Atlantic Roadway from Letterkenny to Waterford with a completion date by 2011 at the latest.

“Transport 21 needs to be more than mere optics. We need real, quantifiable metrics set out now, against which the plan’s success can be measured and judged.”

He added that when it was suggested to them, 74% of companies thought a tunnel linking Ireland to Wales would be important to Irish business.

“With a view to seizing control of Ireland’s destiny in the future and with a view to making Ireland the entrepot of choice for pan European trade with the arrival of super large container vessels we should commence now at planning for the design, commissioning and completion of a Tuskar Tunnel, linking Ireland to continental Europe via Wales by 2025,” he said.

Rail transport also registered high levels of dissatisfaction, with 37% not happy with passenger services and 44% critical of freight.

Although more people said they were satisfied with airports than said they didn’t approve of the services, most companies felt investment could be increased in airports.

In other findings in the first annual transport users survey, around a third said road tolls were inconvenient while a similar number disagreed.

There was cautious optimism over the success of the Dublin Port Tunnel, with four out of 10 respondents confident the scheme would work.

And more than half of those questioned thought road signs in Ireland were not effective.