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

[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]

Originally Posted by Paul Mulcahy

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]

Originally Posted by markh

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

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 !!!!!

[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.