Summary of ideas submitted in the Transport category…

• Connect the red Luas to the railway track at the O2 centre and transport containers at night through the Luas line.
• Connect the two Luas lines between Charlemont (green line) and Fatima (Red Line)
• Construct a metro (underground) for Dublin and train-based service for the rest of the country, the construction company pay for it and, as a way of funding it, the construction company in turn is allowed keep the profits for the first few years.
• Continue to invest in improving Irish infrastructure.
• Continue with the Metro North and Transport 21.
• Contra-flow lanes should be used at peak times.
• Create a lower rate corporation tax for the gaming industry to entice hi-tech companies to move to Ireland and start-up companies to use the skilled employment available in Ireland.
• Create a public transport planner for the island. Help both tourists and the public to get around the cities easier.
• Create a rail system to areas outside Dublin and Belfast.
• Create jobs moving people around the city etc.
• Create one flat mileage rate no matter what car you drive for both public and private sectors. This will be an incentive for people to buy more economic cars, and reduce expenses by government and civil servants and also reduce tax avoidance.
• Create Park and Ride facilities at major M50 junctions. The price of parking should be included in the price of a return ticket. Cheap parking should also be provided at Dart stations.
• Create transport hubs that link all methods of public transport and have bus routes going from one hub to another so that public transport is working in unison.
• Create underground walkways accessing all rural train stations.
• Cut out Government waste, stop fixing footpaths and roads. Only replace what needs to be replaced.
• Cut rail/Luas line from Dublin Airport to Swords and instead introduce a Luas for Meath and Kildare. Make it a public/private partnership (PPP) project.
• Cut spending on motorways and have only single lanes of traffic bypassing the towns and villages. Extend Luas lines to Naas and encourage car users to leave their car at home.
• Cut VRT by 50%.
• Cycle tracks should be provided on all roadways.
• Defer or cancel the Metro North.
• Defer the Dublin Metro, commit to the electrification of the Dublin to Cork railway, commit to two more Luas lines, and develop intercity motorways.
• Deliver “community” parking tickets to illegally parked cars. A camera could be used to photograph the necessary detail and email to log and report offences.
• Deploy commercial speed cameras on high risk roadways.
• Deploy Gardaí on bicycles in urban areas, particularly during rush hour, and fine people for using mobile phones, breaking traffic lights, etc.
• Depots should set up near local towns situated on main routes. These depots should be serviced by public transport to allow motorists to go to the nearby town without having to bring their vehicle to the town centre.
• De-regulate the monopoly that Bus Eireann has and allow private operators to submit application for public transport licences.
• Design and build our own buses, they should be half the width, single decker and have two carriages. Also triple the fleet.
• Develop a light rail system like Brussels around the major cities in Ireland.
• Develop an airport in the West of Ireland. This should be an international hub and attract businesses into Ireland. Build close to the sea, so cargo can be shipped there easily. Also build good modes of transport to the airport.
• Develop new dedicated cycle lanes in the city. Properly designed lanes with adequate protection from traffic will encourage more people to cycle to work.
• Develop Shannon Airport as an international rival to Heathrow. Shannon should offer free or minimal landing charges to encourage transatlantic airlines to use Shannon.
• Discount the use of public sector transport to entice people to use it.
• Double the bus lane as a car pool lane and encourage people to share.
• Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann should employ the larger van type taxis on a subcontract basis to fill out the schedule when there is low volume on routes during off peak. The taxi could change its taxi sign for a bus sign with the route number on it. Once the taxi driver commits to following the scheduled slot he/she should be allowed the takings for that particular trip.
• Dublin Bus should cut down on admin staff and not the drivers, have smaller buses using the routes so that commuters have a reliable frequent service. A set fare should be implemented across the board, and those who have free passes should be charged €1.