Professor Aisling Reynolds-Feighan:

I thank the joint committee for the invitation to present my views on a vision for public transport for Ireland. The work it is doing will have important implications for the future development of the country as transport is a core and vital contributor to the economic and social fabric of the island. I am a professor of transport economics at UCD and have worked on various aspects of transport economics in Irish, European and North American contexts. I teach courses in transport economics, urban and regional economics and aviation economics. My research has focused principally on air and road transport and gives particular attention to the role of networks and the measurement of transport accessibility for communities and regions.

The set of documents published by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for the strategic framework for investment in land transport offers an excellent review of the state of Irish transport and rehearses the main issues facing policy makers. I am encouraged by the long-term strategic approach being advocated in this framework. A long-term perspective, integrated land use and transportation planning and evidence-based decision-making are essential ingredients in designing and implementing sound policies. I will mention a small number of issues that seem to be at the core of how a vision for public transport for Ireland should be shaped and developed.

Ireland has a low population density by international standards - 67 persons per square kilometre compared to the EU average of 117. The transport solutions to moving people and goods when population density is generally low and the population is dispersed are necessarily road based. Households, firms, public and private transport service providers, passenger, freight and emergency services all share the road space in undertaking activities and meeting their mobility needs. Irish transport is overwhelmingly road based.

Practically all freight is carried by road. Passenger travel is also predominantly road based, with 75% public transport being bus transport. Road-based public transport solutions make sense given the geographic and demographic characteristics.

There are a limited number of high-density corridors that justify rail solutions in interurban or intra-urban contexts. With the completion of the interurban motorway network, rail has suffered stiff competition from bus operators in supplying interurban travel options. There is limited potential for development of the rail network because of these characteristics. I very much support the development of bus rapid transit routes in Dublin as a vital short-term measure to contribute to the development of the public transit system and offer potential network economies to improve the financial viability of the urban public transport system.

Historically, Irish infrastructure investment has tended to be pro-cyclical. Investment by Government in surface transport infrastructure peaked during the boom years between 2004 and 2008 and has fallen sharply since then. Expenditure by Government has consistently fallen far short of the revenue generated by the sector. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport reports that spending has averaged 49% of revenue between 2001 and 2014. In my view, a commitment to consistent and sustained investment in infrastructure needs to be made by Government so that better management of the maintenance and development of the transport networks and other key infrastructure can be embedded in the various agencies charged with these duties. Transport infrastructure will generate growth as well as revenue for the State, but a stepped increase in investment is required if this recovery is to be sustained. We cannot afford to continue using the transport sector as a revenue generator without regularising investments in its maintenance and development.

The development of hub and spoke networks to optimise ridership and feed passengers to public transport routes requires locally-based initiatives such as the rural transport scheme. Real-time information is crucial to facilitate the development of such initiatives. More generally, gaps in transport service provision can be identified if good quality and timely information is at hand. As a priority all transport services providers and support agencies should make information available to the public, and in a timely manner.

I support the focused use of public service obligations and competitive tendering in the provision of public transport services. Sluggish responsiveness of public transport supply to the growing demand of users results in rapid increases in car ownership and car usage. It can be a slow process to win market share once car dependence has been established. The use of PSOs is an efficient competitive tendering process for ensuring provision of required services and for containing costs.

The benefits of the transport system have been narrowly measured in traditional studies and evaluation procedures. The wider economic benefits need to be quantified and incorporated into the analysis so that appropriate budgets and expenditure plans can be determined. This relates to both the provision of transport infrastructure and transport services. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has advocated a broader transport appraisal framework and I fully support this approach. Bespoke Irish research and the broader development of expertise in transportation economics are essential for the planning, management and delivery of good quality transportation systems.

I again thank the committee for the opportunity to present my views.