‘No joined-up thinking over Cork transport’, says Labour leader

The Government has lacked urgency, ambition, and joined-up thinking in rolling out a connected transport network for Cork, the leader of the Labour Party has claimed.

Ivana Bacik was in the city for the launch of her party’s Getting Cork Moving transport policy document and to canvass with Labour’s local election candidates.

Unveiling the policy to reporters at the bottom of Patrick’s Hill yesterday lunchtime, Ms Bacik, who spent part of her childhood in Crookstown and Sunday’s Well, said Labour had a clear commitment to building an accessible, sustainable and integrated transport strategy over the next five years.

Issue

“Ever since I lived here, traffic in Cork has been an issue, and we haven’t seen that addressed sufficiently well,” Ms Bacik told The Echo.

“We’re supportive in principle of BusConnects, albeit that we want to see adjustments made to ensure that communities are properly served; we want to see a Luas-style light rail transit rolled out; we want to start public consultation — and we’ve got that as an important pillar of our policy today, to ensure that the transit system will stretch from the eastern suburbs to the western suburbs.

“We’ve been through it in Dublin, we know that there is disruption associated with works, of course, but the result, the outcome, is well worthwhile.

“Cork’s transport system is at a crossroads, and Labour has a clear plan to ensure the city moves forward. Labour candidates will be advocates in City Hall for public transport that works.”

Peter Horgan, the Labour Party’s candidate in the Cork City South East ward, said the lack of publication of the preferred route for Cork’s proposed Luas was a serious issue.

Projects

Mr Horgan added that the document released to him following a Freedom of Information request showed that the route would go down Skehard Rd and onto the Boreenmanna Rd, which is also a BusConnects corridor.

“There are two major public transport projects ongoing, but they don’t seem to be talking to each other, but money is being paid out to consultants and image designers, and the people of Cork — the commuters who want to leave their cars at home, who want to use public transport — are left in the dark,” he said.

Asked when the preferred route for Cork’s light rail service would be published, a spokesperson for the National Transport Authority told The Echo: “It will be this summer”.