Cork traders urged to give incentives-laden car ban ‘a fair chance’

Cheaper bus fares, reduced parking charges, and an extended park and ride service are among a package of measures being introduced in Cork city tomorrow in a bid to smooth the reintroduction of the controversial afternoon car ban on the city’s main street.

Some 111 days after it was suspended amid uproar after a trader backlash, the daily time-regulated bus priority lane will be reintroduced on St Patrick’s St tomorrow, with access limited to buses, taxis, emergency vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians from 3pm to 6.30pm daily.

This time, the measure dubbed locally as the ‘Pana car ban’, is being introduced alongside an incentives package which includes:

- Reduced bus fares and parking charges;

- An extended park and ride service, which will now have nine stops, including on Parnell Place, St Patrick’s St, and Grand Parade;

- A network of 15-minute set-down areas;

- And a marketing campaign to encourage people to visit and shop in the city centre.

Traders were asked last night to give it a “fair chance” but City Hall would not put a timeframe on how long it will take to fully assess the impact of the scheme.

Trader representatives said they will be monitoring it closely and expect any issues to be addressed quickly.

The afternoon car ban is a key part of the city council’s City Centre Movement Strategy (CCMS), a 10-phase city-wide scheme designed to improve public transport and better route traffic through a city centre where up to 5,000 jobs are expected to be created in the next three years.

The car ban was introduced on March 27 last but, within days, traders claimed it had decimated afternoon trade and created a ‘ghost town’.

City Hall responded with parking deals but the tipping point came after some 200 furious traders attended a public meeting on April 18 and demanded the scheme be abandoned.

Two days later, city councillors voted unanimously for its suspension and for in-depth consultation.

The chief executive of Cork City Council, Ann Doherty, said last night that City Hall has “learned a lot” since then.

I believe we have brought together a set of arrangements that will mean that success is achievable on this occasion. I respect people’s opinion and their genuine concerns. But I would ask that people give it a fair chance,” she said.

Ms Doherty said a lot of work has been done since April through the Core partnership, involving City Hall, traders, Bus Éireann, and gardaí, to ensure the measure will work this time but she declined to say how long it will take for its impact to be fully assessed.

She said it will be monitored closely over “several months” but that won’t prohibit “minor changes in the meantime”, if that is what’s required.

Cork Business Association (CBA) and Core member Pat O’Connell said City Hall has adopted a more “commonsense approach” this time.

“It was so badly brought in the last time that it was doomed to failure,” he said.

Business owners panicked, and it was real panic, in March and April when they saw their till receipts fall.

“It’s fine to say ‘wait three months’ but people didn’t have a three-month cushion to wait,” he said. “But this time, there are a lot of incentives to encourage people into the city centre and get out of their cars and use other modes of transport.”

He said CBA members should bring issues of concern to the attention of the CBA executive quickly, and they will do their best to resolve them quickly.

“We’re not going to leave things drag. We will meet with council through this, we will bring any issues that arise to council and to Core meetings to make sure they are tackled straight away, so nothing is left to develop that’s going to cause a problem for businesses,” he said.

Cork Chamber chief executive Conor Healy said there has been a real focus on communication this time.

“The aim on this occasion is to ensure that the general public will have a clear understanding of what’s going on — that this is a change to the traffic movement in one part of the city but that the city continues to operate and actually will be easier to get in and around, which is good for business,” he said.

“Undoubtedly there will be challenges. It will take patience but, for this to work, it needs everyone to buy into it and to look at the bigger picture that, in the medium to longer term, this will be very, very good for Cork and for Cork business.”

Reduced fares

- Bus Eireann is introducing a five-week fares promotion tomorrow until September 9, offering reduced fares for Leap Card holders only on all Cork Urban Red Zone routes, from 2pm to end of service daily. Adult and student fares in the recently extended red zone, which includes Carrigaline and Ballincollig, will cost €1 with children’s fares at 50c.

- The Black Ash park and ride service has been extended into the city centre. Operating from 7am to 8pm, it will now travel from Black Ash, via the South Link Rd stopping at Eglington St, Merchant’s Quay (via Parnell Place), St Patrick’s St, Grand Parade, South Mall and Anglesea St. The enhanced service will no longer serve Lapp’s Quay or Albert St. The €5 fee per car remains for intending passengers boarding at the Black Ash terminus. For walk-in passengers with a Leap Card boarding at the Black Ash, the Red Zone promotional fares will apply during the promotion period, and at the standard rate thereafter.

- Half-price parking at Paul St and North Main St car- parks: 1pm to 6.30pm daily.

- A network of 26 free 15-minute set-down spaces has been developed on South Mall, Grand Parade, Drawbridge St and Cornmarket St.

- A three-month Island of Discovery campaign will champion the city centre as a shopping destination, dining and family day outs. DJ and radio presenter Stevie G will be one of the faces of the campaign. Street acts will perform on St Patrick’s St later this month.