Moves to seek bus lane deal under way

MOVES are under way to find a compromise between councillors and city hall management over proposals to provide a dedicated bus lane on Limerick’s busiest city route.

A meeting of Limerick City Council, convened earlier this week to vote on the matter, was adjourned when members failed to reach agreement. Mayor Marie Byrne (FG), had tabled a notice of motion opposing the planned development of a bus corridor through Ballinacurra and O’Connell Avenue which would link Dooradoyle with the city centre.

Limerick County Council, meanwhile, had already opened a bus lane though the county suburb of Dooradoyle which arrives at a dead end on the city boundary near the Crescent Shopping Centre.

After a sometimes heated debate that continued for more than three hours on Monday night, Ms Byrne adjourned the meeting until September 13 after a number of councillors said they needed more time to consider the matter.

Management at the city council insist the new bus lane is essential to help revive the city centre and to comply with government transport policy. Limerick Chamber of Commerce and the city traders are supporting the new proposed bus lane which they say will encourage more people to come into the city centre.

The city council has government approval of €4.9 million to complete the bus lane, in two phases.

Phase 1 from Dooradoyle to Punch’s Cross will cost €2.5m and phase 2 from Punch’s Cross to the city centre will cost €2.4m.

Council management said they had intended to start work on phase 1 by next month.

Cllr Tom Shortt (Lab), has confirmed he was now working on a compromise motion for the planned meeting in September which he said would open the way for work on phase 1 to commence.

Mr Shortt, who opposes the phase 2 proposal of the continuation of the bus lane through O’Connell Avenue, said: “This will buy us time to look at phase 2.”

He said if they do not move on phase 1, the €2.5m allocation will have to be sent back to the Department of the Environment as being “unspent”.

The €2.4m for phase 2 must be expended by mid-2011.

Fine Gael, which holds nine of the 17 seats on the council, is divided on the issue.

More than 100 residents opposed to the bus lane, as well as a number of supporters of the move, packed last Monday night’s special meeting.