Electric shuttle buses to reduce traffic going to Killarney National Park 

Number of visitors to the park is spiralling out of control with cars being parked at bends, bridges and obstructing narrow public roadways, Kerry County Council has been told

Calls in recent weeks to extend car parks across the 25,000-acre Killarney National Park to cater for increased volumes of cars have been ruled out.

Electric shuttles to Killarney National Park are being considered as part of a pilot project for sensitive scenic areas under pressure from excessive vehicular use.

Calls in recent weeks to extend car parks across the 25,000-acre Killarney National Park to cater for increased volumes of cars have been ruled out by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Green Party Minister for State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan will instead promote the idea of electric shuttles to and from Killarney town to the national park to reduce traffic volumes. 

If the idea succeeds, it will be a template for other areas, a spokesman for the department said.

A new €800,000 car park and access road at the western end of Killarney National Park, which opened last December, is already too small, a meeting of Kerry County Council has been told.

Cars are being parked at bends, bridges and are obstructing narrow public roadways for emergency vehicles and residents, locals have complained.

However, the pandemic has exposed significant challenges in all national parks, nature reserves and scenic areas and Mr Noonan said measures to reduce pressures on habitats and natural amenity “must be prioritised over and above extending car parks."

The minister is to work with all partners in Killarney on options, including “electric shuttle services from the town” and improvements to encourage cycling.

In the interim, the public is asked to use “common sense” when parking and to stay within their 5km restrictions, the spokesman said.

The number of visitors to the park is spiralling out of control, the council has been told, with large numbers of people seeking lockdown walks and cycles over the past year.