The €34bn transport plan

THE Government’s hugely ambitious €34.4 billion transport plan will result in tolls becoming a reality on major roads throughout the country.

Almost a quarter of the funding for the 10-year Transport 21 blueprint - unveiled yesterday by Transport Minister Martin Cullen - will come from the private sector with €2bn earmarked for toll roads.

The use of some €8bn of private sector investment was vital if the Government’s drive to transform Ireland’s under-developed transport infrastructure was to be achieved, Mr Cullen said yesterday.

On the prospect of nationwide tolling, he said drivers would be willing to “pay a small fee” to use a greatly improved road system. He also maintained that “most” of the network would remain un-tolled.

Mr Cullen was speaking in Dublin Castle yesterday as he announced his long-awaited plans to dramatically transform the country’s road, rail and public transport within a decade.

The Transport 21 agenda will see the creation of seven extra Luas lines in Dublin and two metro links - one of which will connect the airport to the city centre in 17 minutes.

Away from the capital, new commuter rail services are planned for Cork city and Galway city, and an ‘Atlantic Corridor’ road route connecting Donegal to Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford is to be opened.

Minister Cullen also announced the go-ahead for a limited Western Rail Corridor, linking Ennis to Claremorris, Co Mayo.

Mr Cullen promised that the completion of the inter-urban motorway linking Dublin to the major cities would be greatly accelerated.

Opposition parties were quick to point out there was little new in the package, as many of the projects had been promised for a number of years.

The massive Luas expansion will connect Lucan to Dublin city centre, finally link the existing two lines, extend the Tallaght route to the Docklands as well as Citywest, and take the Sandyford line to Cherrywood and Bray. The DART is also to be extended.

The underground hub at St Stephen’s Green integrating Luas, Metro and suburban rail services would become Dublin’s version of New York’s Grand Central Station, Mr Cullen said.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the €34.4bn total meant €9.4 million a day would be pumped into transport over the next 10 years under the initiative.

“We need and deserve a first-class transport system. We have to move from far behind into the lead,” he said.

Mr Cullen said planning clearance, needed for the massive building programme envisaged in Dublin and other major centres to complete the transport extensions, will be eased by passage of the controversial Infrastructure Bill, which he hopes will become law by next summer.

Opposition parties poured scorn on the Government’s ability to deliver on the wide-ranging transport initiatives.

Fine Gael Finance spokesman Richard Bruton called it a “political con job” that rehashed all the major transport schemes the Government had failed to deliver over the past seven years.

The Labour Party gave it a cautious welcome but questioned the Government’s ability to control spending on the plan, given the soaring costs of other capital projects.

Summary

* Motorway/dual carriageway links from Dublin to Belfast, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford by 2010.

* Metro lines in Dublin, one linking city centre to Dublin Airport, and an orbital route linking airport line and

* Commuter rail services from Galway to Athenry, reopening of Cork-Midleton line and commuter stations between Cork and Mallow.

* More frequent intercity rail services.

* 850km of improved roads on other national primary routes from 2010-2015, major upgrade of secondary roads.

* An Atlantic Road Corridor, linking Letterkenny to Waterford, through Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork.