Owners of Cork Harbour ferry service to be asked to find solution to traffic congestion near terminal

The owners of the successful cross-river ferry service in Cork Harbour will be asked by Cork County Council to help it find a solution to parking congestion near its terminal at Passage West.

A councillor has also queried why there isn’t a second service, due to the high demand from commuters.

Members of the Carrigaline municipal district council want Doyle Shipping to come to the table to address the serious traffic issues there, especially at peak morning and evening times.

The problem was raised by Fine Gael councillor Jack White, who said he’s concerned about road safety. Cars using the ferry are parking on the roadside in Passage West and Monkstown, reducing the traffic to one lane for some distance.

Inconvenience

“This is causing inconvenience for local residents and other road users, with cars queuing for the cross-river ferry, particularly in the evenings, and blocking up the road,” Mr White said.

“During the peak hours, morning and evening, we have a dangerous situation, with traffic sometimes backing up as far as the Garda station in Passage West. 

"The ferry operator must do better and I really question why they won’t run two ferries during peak hours. Two ferries, or indeed a much larger ferry, would clear the queues and solve the problem.”

Passage West-based Sinn Fein councillor Eoghan Fahy said that as traffic volumes continue to increase, the situation will only get worse.

“I don’t see any easy solutions, but we might utilise a green space for off-street parking. We need more engagement with Doyle’s,” he said.

Fianna Fáil’s Audrey Buckley added: “Doyle Shipping is a very wealthy company. They have to be responsible when their ferries are full. They have to work with us.”

No plans to widen road

Council engineers said the widening of road space is constrained by the harbour location.

Alan Cogan, the acting senior executive engineer for the municipal area, said substantial engineering works, at significant cost, would be required to widen any roadway and they have no plans for these works to be undertaken.

He said the council’s active travel unit are assessing options for an active travel scheme in that area and councillors will be updated on its proposals.

Mr Cogan said that work on an ATS is under way south of the location and design works for another to the north are being advanced.

Comment was sought from Doyle Shipping.