John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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164. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will accede to requests from representatives of a group (details supplied) that the College Green bus corridor be opened up to limousines or chauffeur-driven cars; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32160/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​The issue of allowing limousines to use bus lanes is one which has been raised repeatedly over many years by the limousine business.  My predecessors and I have always rejected these requests, whether they were general requests to open bus lanes to limousines or attempts to prise open the bus lanes piecemeal by claiming special circumstances, as is the case with requests for access to the College Green bus lane.

Bus lanes were created, at some expense to the public, to provide on-street priority for bus-based public transport.  Their fundamental function is to make bus services faster and more reliable, attracting people out of their cars and onto public transport, and so reducing congestion and pollution.  After bus lanes were created, a decision was taken to allow taxis to use the lanes, as they are available to the public for on-street hire.  The emergency services may also use the lanes, as may cyclists, the latter because they are inherently vulnerable road users and therefore safer in bus lanes than in general traffic.

Not surprisingly, many other categories of road users have sought access to the lanes.  These include motorcyclists, hackneys, electric vehicles, multi-occupancy vehicles, and animal ambulances, among others.  All of these requests have been rejected by myself and my predecessors as allowing them would undermine the efficiency of the lanes for their original purpose.  In addition, making a concession to any one group would make it difficult to argue against concessions to another group.