Greens hope to win votes with water-bus plan
Party leader Trevor Sargent will announce details of his party’s ambitious transport proposals at a press conference in the city this afternoon, during which he will also announce the party’s Cork-based candidates to contest the next General Election. Details of the proposed projects will be outlined later.
Cork City Council is already close to finalising a major feasibility study on the provision of an Amsterdam-style water-bus service in the city.
The council has been working on the study with a private company and a firm of accountants with a view to establishing whether or not the proposed service would be viable.
It is understood the study could be completed within weeks.
Green Party city councillor Chris O’Leary, who will contest the election in Cork North Central, said such a service could operate from the lower harbour into the city eight times daily.
It would operate from Cobh with stops at Ringaskiddy, Monkstown, Passage, Little Island, Rochestown, Mahon and Blackrock.
City manager Joe Gavin confirmed last night that the council is already considering a light-rail system linking the docklands and city centre.
The council is reviewing elements of the Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP) to establish whether a light-rail system would serve the city’s needs better than bus links proposed in the docklands strategy, he said.
Green TD and finance spokesman Dan Boyle is expected to retain his Cork South Central seat.
But Mr Sargent will confirm this afternoon that Mr O’Leary will contest in Cork North-Central and Sarah Iremonger in Cork East.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen has called for a high-level meeting between CIÉ and Cork politicians to discuss what he said is the “abandonment” of a major refurbishment of the city’s Kent railway station.
“I was concerned to hear that CIÉ had decided to go ahead with a €4 million refurbishment of Kent Station instead of the previous, much larger scale rebuilding that would have seen the entrance moved to the south side of the site facing the River Lee,” he said.
“The original plans would have seen the development of a proper transport interchange for Cork to include a bus terminus.
“CIÉ now seem to be going ahead with a plan that isn’t much more than a fresh lick of paint and a couple of shops. I am very concerned that this is evidence the major refurbishment has been put on the long finger.”
