Councillors to meet with industry leaders after Cork traffic chaos due to repair works

ELECTED representatives from the Carrigaline Municipal District (MD) are to meet with industry leaders in the Ringaskiddy area to source alternative transport methods for their employees who commute to the harbour region.

It was agreed at the latest Carrigaline MD meeting that elected representatives will sit down with industry leaders after Irish Water recently had to withdraw from repair works it was carrying out at the R613 road out of Carrigaline after huge traffic jams affected thousands of commuters.

Fine Gael councillor Jack White said the recent road closure order which resulted in major tailbacks for two successive mornings has evoked a willingness among the industry leaders to find a more ‘sustainable’ approach to transport to their workplace.

“When the industry representative body was in contact with some of us last week expressing their concerns around the traffic congestion, they did ask if they could sit down with Roads, Irish Water, and the council in general to discuss a more wholesome and sustainable approach to transport to their bases,” said Mr White.

“The representative body represents nine of those companies employing 7,000 people which is a huge volume. There is a willingness on their part to sit down and talk in terms of extra buses, park and rides to get people there in a more sustainable way.

“It is important that when there is a willingness there, we can do something on it.”

Senior executive engineer Alan Cogan urged the elected representatives and industry representative body to produce alternative means of transport for their employees. 

“There is a bigger picture that needs to be looked at here. The huge dependence on cars using that road. I’m not aware of any of the industries in Ringaskiddy providing any alternative means of transport to their employees.

“It certainly happens in the city where they provide buses. It is all very well stating that Joe Bloggs couldn’t get to work on time because of the roads. The elected representatives need to talk to the industries as well to see if they can come up with some other alternative means.”