Green Party - Program for Government

[Mark Hennessy]

Loads of bluff and bluster and vague political promises about "stuff" being delivered.

for Transport, no mention of the big projects, mention of the WRC (what else?) and Navan.

Also, the next time IE buy trains (sometime around 2050 given the state of the place), they'll actually have room for bicycles.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1010/programme.pdf

[PLUMB LOCO]

What a pile of crap! The bicycle capacity on new trains takes some beating and I would have more faith in that promise if the existing Board of CIE and CEO of IE were removed first. There needs to be a clear-out in CIE starting at the very top before anything will change.

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by PLUMB LOCO

What a pile of crap!

Well they are saving the mink population though

It's been stated many times before, the Greens haven't got a bulls notion about public transport.

[Prof_Vanderjuice]

Originally Posted by Mark Hennessy

for Transport, no mention of the big projects, mention of the WRC (what else?)

In fairness, Metro North and Interconnector are there, with a completion date of 2016; they're under the "Bus Rapid Transit" heading (!), as is rail freight. Everything else not already under construction - "the subsequent phases of the Western Rail Corridor and Navan projects" and "Metro West and the Bray, Lucan and Cross-city LUAS lines" gets only a commitment to "earliest possible delivery."

More oddly, under "Peace and Unity," there's a commitment to "Conduct a feasibility study on how a future high-speed rail system could link Dublin and Belfast to the emerging UK and European high speed rail network."

[Mark Hennessy]

Originally Posted by Prof_Vanderjuice

In fairness, Metro North and Interconnector are there, with a completion date of 2016; they're under the "Bus Rapid Transit" heading (!)

Well spotted, looking for these under rail would have made it easy to find that the projected dates have been pushed out.

Now, are these in the program for govt just like the metro was in the 2002 program for govt?

It always seems like deja vu with these projects.

[Oisin88]

Change the record lads. Remember, it is the FF/green party programme for government. There are still 80 FF TDs. That means that there is still alot of FF/Harney/Healy-Ray stuff.

I think they did very well to ensure that for every €1 spent on roads, €2 will be spent on public transport. But then, I am in the GP.

[Mark Hennessy]

Fair enough Oisin, it is my fault for making this thread overtly political (I am not a member / supporter of any party).

Given that Gormley has said none of the proposals are costed, and that the state is still insolvent and will be for the next 3-4 years at the very least, cutting all capital spending will be the easy option for the Govt.

If the roads budget is cut to close to 0, then spending of 2 times close to 0 on public transport isn't going to be a whole lot.

I hope I am wrong on this...

[Oisin88]

Originally Posted by Mark Hennessy

If the roads budget is cut to close to 0, then spending of 2 times close to 0 on public transport isn't going to be a whole lot.

I'd have to admit, you might have a point there. Suffice it to say, that if anything is going to be done, it will be public transport. There is a bit of bus stuff in there as well which should make the whole experience a bit better.