Dempsey’s public transport policy is not so smart

THE Smarter Travel sustainable transport policy document published by Transport Minister Noel Dempsey (February 5) takes the public for fools.

Far from being a e4.5bn plan “to get people out of the car and onto public transport”, it is a e12m advertising scheme designed to divert attention away from the fact that e1.5bn spending on roads in 2009 was approved in recent weeks — this will perpetuate our car dependency.

It is not too unlike the e3m Minister Dempsey wasted advertising the e4.5bn Transport 21 plan last year.