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The Taoiseach says it does not believe that large transportation projects have to be scrapped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A transport union has called for the multibillion-dollar Dublin Metro and Bus Connects plans to be suspended.
The National Union of Buses and Railways (NBRU) believes that lower-cost projects should be the priority.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar does not believe that they should be abandoned.
“I think we will have to review our transportation infrastructure plans in light of what we know about this pandemic and this virus.”
“I think we are going to need more investment in cycling, more investment in pedestrianization.”
“We know they are among the lowest risks in terms of infection transmission.”
“But it definitely wouldn’t go so far as to say at this stage that we would cancel projects like Metro or Bus Connects.”
Transportation union calls for Bus Connects project to be phased out
The secretary general of the National Union of Buses and Railways (NBRU), Dermot O’Leary, said that a letter sent by the union to political parties was an attempt to stimulate a public debate on the future of transportation.
O’Leary told Newstalk Breakfast that he wanted to see an “open and transparent debate” since decisions about future transportation plans should not be made “by a small clique.”
“The central point for me is that there must be an open and transparent debate.
“People who are interested or want to use transportation or need to use transportation should be considered in that debate.
“The decision on future transportation plans should not be made by a small clique. The unfortunate part is that no politician will shrug and say “throw that away,” not a popular thing. “
Mr. O’Leary said the union has been tracking transportation data “for generations at this stage, people will know that Metro North, Metro Link, or whatever you have, has been on the move for the past few years. 15 years at this stage, at least.
“Now we have the situation where I personally feel that politicians from all parties and none of them go out and promise what I call high-level rail projects on the grounds that they will have at least three elections knocking on doors saying ‘We are about to build a railway line’.
“But the fact is, and it’s a serious problem here, I think Covid has shown what can happen if we decongest our cities, we had to do it here because of Covid, but it has clearly illustrated that there could be a better or other way
“All we are trying to do here is generate a debate. Decisions about transportation provision are made by a small number of people at this stage and are not being tested. ”
The union leader said that despite previous NBRU criticism of the Bus Connects plan, they got on board during the last phase and “we are very supportive of it.”
“However, what we are doing here is that Bus Connects was designed to compete with the traffic on our streets, there was a notion that people’s front gardens would be razed.
“Once again, Covid has shown that if we take the car out of town, it may not need to.
However, the part of Bus Connects that we would say should be maintained, orbital routes, could be connected, we are asking for rapid bus transit (BRT), possibly 150 cities around the world have this system, which for lack of a better word It is a Luas on wheels, where road space is dedicated to buses with articulated beds.
“We have suggested in our letter to political leaders that a Dart spur could be built from Clongriffin to the airport, which was mentioned some time ago. That would ease some of the traffic.
We are looking for dedicated bus routes, we are seeing adjacent park and attraction facilities at all points of the city to get the car out of the city.
“Owen Keegan has a vision for College Green, I’m not quite sure we fully agree with what he’s proposing, but again, that’s something you could work on.”
“If that money was ever found, around € 5 billion for Metro, we are clearly telling party leaders that there are many projects that could be funded through that type of money across the country, not just in Dublin. .
“It would help disperse the population.”
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