Sir, – The call from the Labour Party at a think-in for a €9 monthly public transport ticket, similar to the experiment in Germany, is on the face of it, sensible (News, September 8th).
Unfortunately, there was no consultation with the workers and representatives at the coalface, who could have informed the Labour Party that radial investment, over and above the billions being proposed for BusConnects, Metro and Dart Plus, is essential, prior to the introduction of any low-cost ticket.
The current public transport network in Ireland has currently not got the capability or capacity to cater for a vast influx of new patrons. Certain bus and rail trips already operate with sardine-like loadings.
Prior to “incentivising people to use public transport”, the bus and rail network needs to have the ability to absorb extra patrons. Hollow populism counts for nothing in the fight to reduce carbon emissions.
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Being “radical and creative” means opening new heavy rail lines and reopening decommissioned ones.
We need to explore the mooted cost of Metro and examine where BRT (bus rapid transit) can be introduced quickly and more cost effectively; more road space needs to be allocated to public transport.
The bus services in rural Ireland are heavily dependent upon commercial operators, and this is not a sustainable model. – Yours, etc,
THOMAS O’CONNOR,
Assistant General Secretary,
National Bus and Rail Union,
Dublin 1.
