Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to draw attention to a report that was issued yesterday by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport entitled Transport Trends: An Overview of Ireland's Transport Sector. Among other things, it noted that Galway is one of four national urban areas that has experienced a decreased level of service due to congestion. Anyone who knows Galway would hardly find such a conclusion surprising given the volume of traffic. It also proves there is a need for better public transport and to finalise plans for an outer bypass, as a matter of urgency. I sincerely hope that such a route could proceed as soon as possible. However, if we are to be realistic about this matter, it will take at least five to ten years given the difficulties regarding route selection. As I have stated in the past, and as I shall state here again, in order to tackle traffic congestion in Galway city and the western region it is critical that we have park and ride facilities located east, west and north of Galway city. A bus service must be provided. It would mean people can park their vehicles and use a bus that will travel every ten or 15 minutes at peak times in the mornings and the evening, and to a lesser degree during the day, to bring people to their education centres, places of work or hospitals, all of which are located in the city centre. All reports that have been conducted in Galway city will show that over 90% of people want to travel into the city centre area. Therefore, it is critical that we have an efficient and cost-effective bus service. If we want to develop the western region, and want to promote and develop the local economy, then we need to deal with traffic congestion in the short term while we await longer-term projects.