Written answers

Tuesday, 14 June 2022

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Transport Policy

Photo of Marc Ó CathasaighMarc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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67. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on an implementation plan for suggested recommendations within the Five Cities Demand Management Study in order to use demand management measures to reduce car usage, improve the efficiency of public transport and safety of those embracing active travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30597/22]

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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My Department published the Five Cities Demand Management Studyin December 2021. The purpose of the Study is to identify transport demand drivers in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick, and Galway, and to assess the impact and suitability of an array of different demand management measures for each city.

The Study focused on addressing four main challenges facing our cities: decarbonisation, air quality, congestion, and improving the overall urban environment.

It is therefore not explicitly focused on improving the efficiency of public transport or enhancing the safety of active travellers, though these benefits are certainly intended to result from implementation of measures identified in the Study.

In line with our Climate Action Plancommitments, my Department is continuing to engage with the NTA, the Regional Assemblies, and other bodies to identify a pathway for the implementation of suitable demand management measures at national and local level, and to advancing these measures by 2025.

With regard to specific measures, the Study recommended three priority measures to progress further for implementation across the five cities:

- Developing and embedding the concept of 15-minute neighbourhoods through national and local plans and strategies, providing resources to incentivise their implementation through national funding or grants schemes;

- Enhancing delivery of the National Planning Framework; and

- Implementing public parking controls.

In relation to Dublin City specifically, the NTA is currently assessing potential demand management measures to achieve the transport emissions targets in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) for 2030, in line with the draft GDA Transportation Strategy 2022-2042.

In addition, with regard to sustainable mobility and active travel, my Department has recently published its Sustainable Mobility Policy and associated suite of actions which aim to deliver at least 500,000 additional daily active travel and public transport journeys and a 10% reduction in kilometres driven by fossil fuelled cars by 2030. In this regard, I have recently established a Leadership Group and Delivery team to oversee and drive implementation of the Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP) and delivery of its action plan over the next three years.

These actions are intended to change our daily travel choices by making it both easier and more attractive for people to travel by more sustainable modes – be that walking, cycling or public transport.

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