MTU campaign secures park-and-ride service for students to Cork City campus 

The provision of off-campus parking, including a pilot park-and-ride option for semester two, is among the short- to medium-term measures being planned. Picture: Noel Sweeney

Students at the Munster Technological University (MTU) in Cork have been congratulated for securing a park-and-ride service at their main city campus from early next year.

Almost three weeks ago, hundreds of MTU students walked out of classes at the Bishopstown campus to highlight calls for improved public transport links, for more parking options, including a park-and-ride facility, and for massive State investment in affordable student accommodation in the area.

MTU has now confirmed it is planning a package of measures aimed at “improving sustainability and access to campuses”, including a pilot park-and-ride facility.

“This follows ongoing engagement with students, staff and our wider community on local access issues and national challenges posed by the lack of available housing and public infrastructure services,” it said in a statement.

Last month, hundreds of MTU students walked out of classes at the Bishopstown campus to highlight calls for improved public transport links, for more parking options, including a park-and-ride facility, and for massive State investment in affordable accommodation in the area. Picture: Noel Sweeney

The provision of off-campus parking, including a pilot park-and-ride option for semester two, is among the short- to medium-term measures being planned, with hopes to extend the park-and-ride project to “full service rollout" for September 2024.

It is understood the facility will operate from the Curraheen Park greyhound stadium, less than 3kms from MTU’s Bishopstown campus.

An Rabharta Glas councillor Lorna Bogue congratulated the students for their campaign.

“The big lesson to be learned from this is that James Connolly’s committee of the rich — managing the affairs of the rich, which is what this council is — is not the place where change is made, and actually collective action that happens in workplaces, homes and communities is where change is made,” she said.

“It seems a park and ride that councillors are calling for has been delivered through the actions of students and workers, and not by anyone in this room.”

The issue was discussed at Monday’s meeting of Cork City Council after Fianna Fáil councillor Fergal Dennehy urged city officials to engage with MTU on interim solutions to traffic problems in the wider Bishopstown area pending delivery of BusConnects or a light rail system.

The MTU student protest in October. Picture: Noel Sweeney

“Everybody knows the Bandon Road is gridlocked with people coming in to MTU — we have 1,000 cars a day going through Uam Var estate,” he said.

But city officials said proposals for public park-and-ride facilities are contained in the 2020 CMats plan, which has identified six potential locations — Blarney/Stoneview, Dunkettle, Carr’s Hill, Bandon Rd and Ballincollig — all of which are to be the subject of further investigation.

They said such facilities could only be viable if the buses do not have to compete with general traffic, and the delivery of park-and-ride facilities is related to the delivery of the new BusConnects network and its necessary bus corridor upgrades.

MTU said it was in consultation with the National Transport Authority through the BusConnects Cork initiative, that it was working with local transport authorities to improve public transport options, especially at peak travel times.