Summary of ideas submitted in the Transport category…

• Employ extra people to finish up the M50. The budget is there so there is no extra cost. A large amount of money is being lost in the private industry through traffic jams.
• Employers should provide better facilities to cyclists to encourage people to cycle to work. In addition cycling should be encouraged at a young age.
• Enable taxpayers to pay for their motor tax in 12 monthly instalments like insurance companies.
• Enable the tax and insurance for the person’s car to be allowable for a moped. Less fuel, take cars off the road.
• Encourage and develop electric cars in the state.
• Encourage civil servants to car share if all going to the same area, to save money on expense claims.
• Encourage people to join the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Ireland and work with the organisation in a common network and encourage trade among members and best practice knowledge.
• Encourage people to use motorbikes instead of cars, this lessens congestion and pollution. Offer reduced VAT on bikes.
• End the contract with Search and Rescue and Canadian Helicopters Company and get the Irish Air Corps to take it over.
• Enforce a law so that all cars entering Dublin must contain at least four adults.
• Entice people to walk to places instead of driving.
• Establish three to four publicly owned public transport companies to encourage competitiveness. In addition we should decouple the rail network and associated signalling and safety network from the passenger service in order to establish a competitive rail service.
• Extend bus lanes through junctions to stop cars sitting in bus lanes waiting to enter their lanes.
• Extend the free transport scheme to all persons over 65, wherever they are from.
• Extend the Luas and Dart to provide a 24-hour service.
• Fit train/Dart/Luas carriages with racks to accommodate push bikes, allowing people to access their offices from greater distances that may not be otherwise feasible on foot.
• Follow the German example where the government will give €2,500 to people who are willing to scrap their old car and buy a new one. This will stimulate the car market and the Government will work out ahead based on revenue earned from the sale of cars.
• Food for Africa. Consumers buy thee tins of food and get two. The other tin goes to Africa to feed people. Manufacturer pays for transport costs and in turn opens up routes to Africa.
• For the price of Metro North it could be possible to extend the Luas Green Line from the city centre through Finglas to the airport, build another Luas line from the city centre along the Metro North alignment through DCU and Ballymun to the airport and build Metro West to Blanchardstown.
• Gael-goers (type of scooter) should be used by school children to get to school instead of parents having to drop both the child and their heavy school bag by car.
• Get motor insurance companies to allow for two cars to be insured at separate intervals i.e. one car for one week and the next car for another week.
• Get rid of VRT completely.
• Give a grant of €250 for each car bought for driving lessons.
• Give every senior citizen visitor from every country free travel on buses and trains. Cards would be issued at point of entry. They would spend more in other tourism activities.
• Give full VRT rebates on exported used cars. This gets rid of old cars and produces revenue.
• Give parking tickets to people who double park - no exceptions (even if the hazard lights are on).
• Grant aid towards the fitting of showers in a building. This may entice people to cycle/ run to work.
• Have a cobweb like transport system around Dublin as this would reduce transport times.
• Have a common ticketing system for buses.
• Have a course of driving lessons in advance of taking the driving test.
• Have a direct air link to China.
• Have a large covered, secure parking area for people’s bicycles.
• Have a Park and Ride facility at the main arteries to our cities.
• Have a shamrock shaped Metro station.
• Have easier access to places off the Luas/Dart instead of having to walk a distance. E.g. Tallaght Hospital 5- to 10-minute walk to the entrance as the back is not open.