Shane Ross on the Late Late

[Mark Hennessy]

Im turning into an old person, sitting in watching the Late Late.
Anyway, Shane Ross is on tv now talking about his solutions to the Dublin traffic problem.

To summerise:

1) Open the Toll Bridge all of the time.
2) Provide free public transport
3) Allow cars with 3 or more occupants to use the bus lanes.

While it is good to see this kind of discussion on prime time tv, there are many flaws in his ideas. For starters, I doubt the existing public transport system could cope if a large number switched from their cars and secondly, who would police the bus lanes :D

[PaulM]

None the less: If we could end the 1 person per car thing, it would do a huge amount for the traffic in Dublin. I always approved of the idea of car pooling but sadly we just don't have the roads for it.

[Mark Hennessy]

None the less: If we could end the 1 person per car thing, it would do a huge amount for the traffic in Dublin. I always approved of the idea of car pooling but sadly we just don't have the roads for it.

It works quite well in California (the only place i've used car pooling) with 6 lane highways etc but cars in the bus lane would be a licence to beat the system here unless properly enforced.

[2Funki4Wheelz]

Im turning into an old person, sitting in watching the Late Late.
Anyway, Shane Ross is on tv now talking about his solutions to the Dublin traffic problem.
....
For starters, I doubt the existing public transport system could cope if a large number switched from their cars and secondly, who would police the bus lanes :D

To be fair he did say buses and public transport needed massive investment. I like that he said T21 and all the other stuff is all about the 'future', in 10 years, 15 years etc - the problem is now, we're running to catch up and it was nice to hear someone acknowledge that some fast action needs to happen.

P.S. Don't be ashamed, it was cracking Late Late, Richard Dawkins and Tommy Tiernan flying in the face of holy catholic Ireland.

[Nigel Fitzgricer]

Shane Ross was bang on about the planning issues and the whole excuse of "nobody could foretell this would happen!" only holding so much water.

The problem with the transport in the GDR is more about bad planning and bad politics rather than us all been taken by surprise.

Thinking about Shane Ross' ideas for the Toll Booth - there is an oppertunity for P11 to try something similar and perhaps send it to him for his approval if possible. A series of public transport projects which can be implemented before T21 and call it something like "Pre-21 Eazy Pass" or some other catchy name like that. It could have proposals to use the PPT tunnel route, routing some peak time Adamstown services to Bray. Some bus ideas and so on. Operate the Howth Branch as a proper branch and free up a couple of peak time slots on the Northern Line for a Navan (va Drogheda) to Connolly shed service. Expose the lie of the Loop Line. The classic P11 type creative ideas - who cares if they are not technically perfect, good PR is good PR and it might get things done if shouts are loud enough.

If anything, it could deeply embarss the Government/DoT and CIE in the run up to the election as being devoid of imagination and adaptability. Could you imagine Shane Ross on the Late Late Show holding such a document up and giving the real reason why there is no trains to Navan of any kind and on any line before 2014.

I know it's none of my business to be throwing ideas at P11, but jesus lads there is a golden oppertunity here to join a simmering popularist movement towards short-term transport delivery with Shane Ross as the independent voice of the commuters (something the other poltical parties are too stupid to figure out and do for themselves).

Anyways, I am off the pub now to fill the spiritual void in my life left by the collaspe of the Irish catholic church's power with drink, curry and filthy jokes - but just give it a thought. Shane Ross already has a crusade going and P11 could slot into very nicely.

Very nicely indeed.

[alek smart]

HMMMM......I wonder if Shane Ross is familiar with the Bus/Rail integration potential of Drumcondra Station........Senator Ross to the nearest red telephone Please !!!!! :eek:

[Mark Gleeson]

NTR have refused to take the money

[2Funki4Wheelz]

Because as Ross said, it would blow a hole in their theory/"studies" that opening the toll gates would not make a difference.

[alek smart]

It`s easy for most of us to sit here and throw rocks in the direction of NTR and the respective Governmental agencies involved.
However,I do believe that the general public still do not realize the extent of the Dubious Practices which led up to the West Link operating contract.

This little mutually beneficial scenario did not just simply pop up in some civil servants otherwise vacant brain some sunny day in the early 70`s.

No Sir.....The entire process which led to the West Link contract (and the equally important though less sexy East Link Bridge) remains the result of meticulous planning and ground preparation by a very small group of senior Political Figures and Civic Administrators.

Most of those involved have since become Household Names and their dubious methods of conducting their Financial afairs are now well documented thanks to the Judicial Tribunal route.

My point is that the PRESENT State Mechanism,operating on behalf of the Citizenry, should really be seeking to repudiate any such Public Contracts which appear to have been drawn up to offer benefits to any of the parties which are beyond the reasonable norms.

The West Link Operating Contract is but one of these contracts.

Senator Ross is a very well regarded financial minded politician and I feel certain he has enough detail to blow holes through the present NTR beneficial agreement with the Irish State.

The problem is,however, that the entire NTR business is but the tip of a very deep iceberg indeed.
There is real fear in certain circles that any thread pulling in relation to this particular Contract could well result in many current Emperor`s wandering abroad without a stitch.... ;)

Go Shane,Go !!

[markpb]

Yes Minister said it all:

Never start an inquiry if you don't already know all the answers.

[Donal Quinn]

"My point is that the PRESENT State Mechanism,operating on behalf of the Citizenry, should really be seeking to repudiate any such Public Contracts which appear to have been drawn up to offer benefits to any of the parties which are beyond the reasonable norms."

same arguement is used by those opposed to the Corrib gas field - holds no water. You can't tear up legally binding contracts just because you don't like them - how would you ever sign one in the future???

[alek smart]

I take your point about the Corrib business Donalq,however while all sorts of accusations are flying about the place in relation to the Nat Gas contracts there is,as yet,No Beef.

The Govt/NTR scenario is a little different in that the procesess leading up to it`s signing as well as the tangible benefits from that contract have been shown to benefit a small well placed coterie of Politically well connected individuals.

The distinction here is that many of these same public servants have now been through a specific judicial process and have had seriously damning verdicts returned against them concerning the manner in which they carried out their official duties.

Given that the work of at least one Tribunal is ongoing I would suggest that the public interest would be best served by a very thorough investigation of the NTR contract and indeed the somewhat fraught scenario surrounding the setup of the National Roads Authority which it could be argued,was the foundation stone of NTR`s phenomonal success.

The present situation whereby a single company has essentially achieved it`s current stature on the basis of a VERY lucrative State Contract mechanism is,to quote the AA`s Conor Faughnan,Bizzarre in the greatest sense.

It cannot be stated often enough that the present situation did not somehow simply "Come-About".
It remains the fruits of some very detailed planning carried out some three decades ago and designed specifically to be a long-term vehicle.

If anybody needs confirmation then take a look along the M50 slip roads and admire the Concrete Plinths installed to take the toll-booths which were only short-circuited after a falling out among the pack at the time which eventually saw the NRA appear as the all powerful "Facilitating Authority".

It`s all water under the bridge now,but it`s only by picking at the threads of this Bizzarre contract that we,the financiers of NTR and the Trust Fund that benefits greatly from its well being can be sufficently well informed to avoid future fleecing sessions !!! :D