Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

I, too, congratulate our colleague, Deputy Shortall, for the document she has put before the House tonight. It is positive in its proposals and realistic as regards the timescale for its implementation. It is, perhaps, unusual to see someone from a rural background addressing the House on Dublin Bus. However, when one has to access the capital on a daily basis or a number of times per week, one knows one is interested in the traffic problems within the city. Obviously, a quality bus service would have this as its basic aim.

Each morning I leave Athy I face a necklace of tail lights. When one arrives at the dual carriageway, however, there are few buses in evidence providing a link between Kildare and the capital. The traffic tails back four or five miles each morning of the working week, from Newlands Cross to Brown's Barn at the entrance to Citywest and the situation appears to be getting worse all the time. I just cannot see any improvement. There is no linkage. As regards Deputy Shortall's proposals, if a park and ride facility was to be introduced in respect of the M50, such an initiative could only improve the circumstances of those trying to reach their place of employment at a reasonable hour. There is a quality bus corridor along the Long Mile Road which has been marked for four months, although I stand to be corrected on this. However, there are signs stating it is not in use, while the traffic jams continue and buses get caught up in the congestion every morning — from the South Circular Road to Clanbrassil Street and Wexford Street. There is no organisation. The Labour Party proposals, if implemented, would result in immediate improvements for commuters.

Because of the lack of effort on the part of the Government to ensure decentralisation of employment from the city, the congestion will continue into the foreseeable future. Unless we really attack the problems as regards quality bus corridors, the provision of extra buses and park and ride facilities, the city will slowly but surely come to a halt. It takes at least an hour any evening to get from Leinster House to the dual carriageway on the Naas Road. It is unbelievable in the modern city Dublin is becoming that the lack of a quality bus service means gridlock and that the quality bus lanes depicted in the document are not available.

I have asked Deputy Shortall about the Imp buses which certainly appeared to deliver a service in the city. However, because of the financial implications for Dublin Bus, they seem to have been gradually removed from the system and they have not been replaced by a modern fleet that might make a difference. No new buses have been introduced. There is, therefore, no incentive on offer to use the public transport system. That is one of the problems. However, the document sets out to do this. As such, I strongly support the initiative proposed by Deputy Shortall. I hope that when in government the Labour Party will ensure its proposals are implemented.

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