John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Barrett for raising this matter on the Adjournment, and I assure him I will bring it to the attention of the Minister.

The Government's recently published smarter travel action plan sets ambitious targets for us all. It states that by 2020 we will move over 500,000 potential car-based commuters to other more sustainable forms of transport; slash CO2 emissions by at least 4 million tonnes; ensure that electric vehicles account for 10% of all vehicles on our roads; ensure more than 150,000 people travel to work by bike; create regional e-working centres to help cut commuting times; create an all-island car sharing website; invest in new, safer cycling and walking routes, and invest in more park and ride facilities on the outskirts of our major cities

We cannot afford not to meet these targets. Our current transport trends are unsustainable. We must free ourselves from the current conviction that the private car must be the primary travel mode. If we do that, enormous benefits will accrue, not only to ourselves as individuals, but to society. These benefits will last a lifetime.

Smarter travel seeks to deliver a sea change in the way we think about and make policy on transport matters. It considers all sectors of the transport area including personal travel by car, bus rail and air. As a nation, we have become dependent on the private car to meet our transport and travel needs. As a result, our urban roads are becoming increasingly choked by cars. If trends continue, average speeds in urban areas in morning peak hour in Dublin will have dropped from 13 km per hour to 8 km per hour by 2016. We cannot allow that to happen, which is why this action plan is so important.

There are obvious alternatives to the car. Bus services are under-utilised in this country, despite the fact that there has never been a greater demand for stress-free travel alternatives. Bus services should be in huge demand, but bus passenger numbers are falling dramatically. The Government is determined to grow bus passenger numbers so that more people will opt to leave their cars at home.

The Government has made record funding available to CIE for 2009 — over €313 million — in a year when Exchequer funding has never been more scarce. However, Dublin Bus saw an alarming fall in its passenger numbers last year and a rise in its debt. If CIE continues with business as usual and does not reform to attract more customers, it is projected that it will deliver debts this year in excess of €90 million. We cannot let that happen.

In order to balance its books, Dublin Bus is examining how it can reduce costs and implement the cost saving, customer focused recommendations set out in a recent Deloitte report published by the Minister for Transport. This has the potential to help Dublin Bus cut costs, while at the same time growing passenger numbers and improving its service to customers. We are determined to stop the dramatic slide in bus passenger numbers and we can do this through a customer focused reform programme in Dublin Bus.

In other areas of public transport, the Government has invested heavily in excellent commuter rail and Luas light rail services. The Government will continue to provide top quality public transport alternatives to the public over the coming years under Transport 21. Smarter, sustainable travel will deliver benefits in the areas of health, environment, economic competitiveness, energy security and quality of life. Each of these benefits will be will be realised, and they will be experienced in south Dublin as clearly as they will be throughout the rest of the country.

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