Health groups call for ‘urgent implementation’ of BusConnects

At the launch of the second round of consultation on Sustainable Transport Corridors for Cork in March are (left to right) Gerry O'Beirne of Cork City Council; Ann Doherty, Chief Executive of Cork City Council; Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority and Hugh Creegan of the National Transport Authority. It is said BusConnects would allow people of all ages to have healthier choices in transport. File picture: Clare Keogh

An alliance of health, medical, environmental and sustainable transport advocates have called for urgent implementation of BusConnects which they say is at risk of being delayed or “watered down”.

The group which includes the Irish Heart Foundation, Irish Doctors for the Environment, the Irish Pedestrian Network and Cyclist.ie said political support for BusConnects was “lukewarm at best” at recent public meetings in Dublin and Cork.

They said the project which aims to improve public transport and reduce carbon emissions in Ireland’s major urban centres would allow people of all ages to have healthier choices in transport.

“Projects are at risk of being delayed or watered down unnecessarily. It is vital that public representatives give their full backing to these projects so that their many health, environmental and public realm benefits can be realised as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson said.

Irish Doctors for the Environment member and consultant geriatrician, Dr Colm Byrne, said Ireland has a transport problem, “but more specifically a car problem”. 

“We rank only behind Cyprus as the most car-dependent country in the EU, with 76% of people using a car as their daily transport, with even very short journeys done by car,” he said.

Dr Sean Owens of the Irish College of General Practitioners said active travel projects such as BusConnects will have “significant public health benefits”.

BusConnects will provide more reliable, punctual bus services, better footpath and crossing facilities for pedestrians, and joined-up bike lanes across Dublin and other cities.

“Regular physical activity has been found to be one of the most sustainable ways of improving health. Designing a transport system that builds in some level of exercise, whether that be a 10-minute walk at either end of a bus journey or a cycle to work or school, is the easiest way of achieving this.

“We need our public representatives to stand up and support them,” he said.

Cycling has immense pent-up demand, according to the group, and cycle traffic would be greatly increased by BusConnects if safe segregated cycling infrastructure is implemented.

“In Dublin, for example, roughly 25% of adults cycle one or more days per week. There is a further 21% who would cycle if they felt safer.

“The number one reason given by people for not cycling is fear of sharing road space with motor traffic,” said David Timoney of Cyclist.ie. Mr Timoney said the number of adults cycling in Dublin could be almost doubled with safe segregated cycling infrastructure.

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“This is to not even consider the potential for growth in school kids cycling to school. Cycling can be an option for almost everyone if we design it correctly. Segregated bike lanes will be delivered alongside the improved bus routes as part of BusConnects,” he said.

Mr Timoney acknowledged that there are “weaknesses” in the designs of BusConnects projects, saying the loss of private garden space and the “inconvenience” of losing car park spaces are difficult for those affected.

In March, the National Transport Authority confirmed that the controversial compulsory acquisition of private gardens along most of the routes will still be required despite backlash from homeowners.

“But we are convinced that BusConnects will bring such major benefits to the public good — improvements in peoples’ cardiovascular and respiratory health, even their sense of general wellbeing — that any losses will be far outweighed by the gains,” Mr Timoney said.