Summary of ideas submitted in the Transport category…

• The Luas has an LCD stating what stop it is at and the next stop. Introduce the same on Dublin Bus making it clearer what the next stop is and where the bus is going. Also give change (like the Luas does) on buses.
• The National Roads Authority should take control of all roads nationally. This would prevent roads being resurfaced unnecessarily by councils due to the ’spend it or loose it’ policy.
• The operation of speed cameras should be outsourced.
• The public transport sector should be privatised.
• The rail infrastructure should be opened up to private rail freight operators providing a green alternative to road travel.
• The State should provide third-party insurance inclusive in the motor tax for all vehicles. A current tax disc means the driver is properly insured. You can get additional car insurance for the car through insurance companies.
• The Taxi Regulator creates shifts for taxi drivers to work. The longest serving taxi drivers should get first choice of the shifts they would like to work and new entrants would have to work the shifts the Regulator assigns to them. More taxis would be available then when needed.
• There is a two-lane roadway from Dublin city centre out to the airport motorway at Whitehall except for a short strip on the college side at Upper Dromcondra road between the junctions of Church Avenue and Clonturk Avenue (Cat and Cage Pub). Is it possible to acquire enough land from the college to remove this bottleneck?
• There is an existing train track line from Spencer dock to near Connolly Station to the M50. Why not create a spur alongside the M50 to the airport and onto Donnabate, connecting with the northern trains? A ‘Cut and fill’ line would be economically and speedily built along the M50. The Metro airport link could be built later on.
• To make the mileage allowance reward people who drive cars with less emissions, give a higher allowance to those who drive cars with lower emissions.
• Toll booths should be placed at the busiest entry points to Northern Ireland in order to recoup some of the money brought out of the country.
• Tram transport should be provided in all cities.
• Trim the size of Dublin Bus and right-size its operations.
• Trucks should be banned from the roads between the hours of 8-9am and 5-6pm in order to reduce traffic congestion while simultaneously forcing drivers to take a break.
• Unemployed people should be given free use of public transport.
• Use a fleet of taxis to organise the transport of children to school. Taxi company would tender for it and then be licensed to provide this service. Taxi would have a set school/route estate etc.
• Use Baldonnell Airport as a Park and Ride to Dublin Airport as it has large unused acreage. Take pressure off M50 and parking at Dublin Airport. Potential to open up inward investment to South East. Architectural partnership that created “Heathrow Express” is prepared to prepare a survey and report pro-bono.
• Use canals for the transport of cargo.
• Use mannequins created and dressed in such a way that they look like Gardai. Cars will slow down seeing something that looks like a guard.
• Use the buses not in use in the mornings for a Park and Ride facility to the city centre.
• Use the canals instead of road transport to get Dublin’s rubbish to the incinerator.
• Use the Phoenix Park tunnel for passenger use and open a new railway station in the former freight siding in Cabra.
• Use the Red Luas line to transport goods at night from Dublin Bay to the Red Cow marshalling station, taking trucks out of the city.
• Use the unnecessary extra lanes on the M50 for a light rail system, connecting to the airport.
• VRT refunds should be given on all exported cars.
• VRT should be abolished and replaced with a tax on fuel consumption.
• We need more efficiency in terms of public transport.
• When buying a second-hand car, people should have to re-register it in their own county and be charged for it.