Mr. Hugh Creegan:

Our transport models recognise that people prefer heavy rail and light rail to bus transport. We have a factor built in, based on empirical research, on what needs to be applied to reflect the higher likelihood of people using a rail solution.

On the last-mile delivery for goods, because of our remit, our strategy is predominantly focused on passenger and people movement. There are lots of parties involved in the freight side. We think that for the last mile or final section delivery for goods, an emphasis will have to be placed on low-emission use, whether it is cargo bikes or electric vehicles. We believe we need to insert in the demand management scheme I mentioned requirements about what needs to happen for deliveries in certain areas, such as times and modes of deliveries. We envision that we will do a chunk of research and insert its findings in the demand management scheme. That is largely because a very large part of the residual emissions will come from freight vehicles by 2030.

The Deputy asked how we carry out the assessment on parking charges. I know I keep mentioning transport models but we have the tool that can assess what happens if parking charges are changed or applied where they are not in place. We use that assessment tool.

On what goes into the implementation plan, it is largely driven by the national development plan. There are also other factors such as the funding that is available over the six-year period because that is a subset of the NDP. That is the biggest driver of all. We end up replicating a segment of the NDP for it.

We addressed emissions reductions earlier. The Deputy asked when the demand management scheme would be available. We have committed to publishing it two years after the strategy is adopted but we will hold a public consultation in advance of that. I expect that we will have something published in 12 to 15 months.

On the regional bus corridors and the drawing the Deputy picked, he should take it that it is an indicative map. There are a good few corridors that slice off at the end of the graphic. The Deputy will be aware that on the N11 corridor we hope to bring bus priority down as far as the Glen of the Downs and see what happens then.

We accept entirely the need to support e-bikes more.