The Government was yesterday urged to provide £36 million for an ambitious integrated plan to develop public transport in Cork to relieve traffic congestion and cater for continuing growth in the greater Cork area in the next millennium.
The call came at the launch of a joint study commissioned by Cork Corporation, Cork County Council, Bus Eireann, Iarnrod Eireann and the Garda aimed at encouraging more people to use public transport.
The study, entitled "Moving Cork Transport Beyond 2000", lays particular emphasis on a suburban rail network and recommends the investment of £20.7 million on the upgrading of stations, track and rolling stock.
It includes proposals for a £13.4 million upgrading of the Cork-Cobh line, a £2.7 million upgrading of track and signalling at Ceannt station as well as improving access to the station via an entrance from the quays.
The study also recommends the reopening of suburban stations at Blarney, Kilbarry, Tivoli and Ballynoe at a cost of £2 million with park and ride and cycle facilities at each station at a cost of £600,000.
The study also recommends the provision of a £2 million service between Mallow and Cobh to serve the proposed intermediate suburban stations.
However, the study says that the reinstatement of a disused line to Midleton and particularly to Youghal cannot be justified given the cost (£8 million for the line to Midleton and a further £15 million to Youghal).
The study also recommends the investment of £10.7 million in the upgrading of the Bus Eireann fleet in the city, including the purchase of 26 large-capacity buses, 38 minibuses and 18 standard buses.
It proposes a number of radical changes to existing services including the creation of two orbital routes, north and south, with half the city routes being serviced by minibuses operating at 10-minute frequencies.
Both the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Damian Wallace, and the chairman of Cork County Council, Cllr Tomas Ryan, welcomed the plan but they both stressed the need for Government funding to make it a reality.
Cllr Wallace said one of his priorities would be to arrange an early meeting with the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, to try and secure funding for the plan which builds on the success of the Land Use and Transportation Study in 1978.
Cllr Ryan said he hoped that the study's recommendations would be incorporated into the Government's national plan. "It's essential that this plan be implemented if we are to avoid the sort of traffic congestion experienced in Dublin," he said.