THE DECISION by the European Investment Bank to approve a loan of €500 million to develop the Metro North service represents a vote of confidence in the economy and in the future prosperity of Dublin. In making the announcement, the bank’s vice-president said the rail link would form the backbone of a future integrated public transport network and make a significant contribution to sustainable development.
This development has taken place at a psychologically important time, when the State is beginning to emerge from recession and public confidence needs a boost. Planning for future development and growth is vital and the Government should ensure no further slippage takes place in the completion date. Initially, Metro North – linking the city centre to Dublin airport and Swords – was to be finished by 2012. Now that date has been pushed back to 2016. An underground rail interconnector, designed to link the Metro, the Luas, the Dart and Dublin Bus services, will not be completed until 2018, at the earliest.
An efficient public transport system is a vital component in any modern city. Unfortunately, Dublin is not well served. The balance of use still tilts towards the private motorist and the quality of public bus services is poor and uneven. Instead of improving its services last year, Dublin Bus management reduced the number of buses and saw passenger numbers fall by about 10 per cent. At the same time, the number of private cars going into the city rose for the first time in years. Dublin commuters are likely to have a similar experience this year.
Government subsidies to Dublin Bus have been cut for the second year running and the company has announced a radical overhaul of services. We have been told that redesigned bus routes will provide more direct, regular and reliable services later this year. We have also been told there will be 150 redundancies and that 90 buses will be taken off the road. On the basis of this company’s record, the public has every reason to be sceptical concerning this new dawn. Time will tell.
Dublin has been ranked last of 30 cities for its public transport infrastructure. Integrated ticketing was promised more than a decade ago and will finally make a tentative appearance this year. “Real time” arrival information at bus stops is a more recent idea. Dublin City Council will install it; the National Transport Authority will pay for it and commuters will eventually benefit when Dublin Bus gets around to placing the technology in its vehicles. What a fragmented mess!