PDs make pledge on orbital motorway

AN OUTER orbital motorway which would allow traffic to bypass the M50 and Dublin city was last night promised by the Progressive Democrats.

In what the party described as a “contract with the commuter belt”, an orbital motorway running from the Kilcullen interchange on the M7 and connecting to the M4, M3, M2 and M1, before reaching the Gormanstown interchange was the central feature of its 14 commitments.

At a public meeting in Gormanstown, Co Meath, attended by the leader of the PDs Michael McDowell, the party pledged to ensure that commuters would no longer have to walk more than 10 minutes to access one form of public transport.

One of the key elements of the party’s commuter contract is the proposal to create a regional database of workers and professionals living in the region who are interested in working locally. Added to this, “Masterplan Zones” are proposed which would enable local authorities to attach conditions to the provision of site or funding for community purposes.

In addition, a network of Park and Ride facilities outside the M50 network and the establishment of a Corps of Professional Trainers to coordinate voluntary youth activity in communities are proposed.