700% increase in bus lanes and €1bn 25-stop light-rail system part of Cork transport plan

A €1bn 25-stop light-rail system linking Ballincollig to Mahon via a new docklands bridge is among the proposals contained in the long-awaited Cork Metropolitan Area Draft Transport Strategy (CMATS) which has been published by the National Transport Authority (NTA) today for six weeks of public consultation.

But work on the Luas-style project is unlikely to start before 2031 with the immediate focus instead on a €545m investment package in the bus network that will deliver a 700% increase in bus lanes across the Metropolitan region - from 14km today up to 100km.