Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Jul 1998

Vol. 493 No. 4

Written Answers. - Motor Vehicle Registration.

Seán Power

Question:

126 Mr. Power asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of vehicles registered; the expected increase by the year 2005; the extra demand this will place on our infrastructure; the plans, if any, he has to deal with the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16382/98]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

A total of 1.432 million motor vehicles were currently licensed at the end of 1997; of these, 1.134 million were private cars. Work carried out as part of the technical assistance programme of the Operational Programme for Transport 1994-99 indicates that the total number of private cars in the country could be in the region of 1.6 million by 2005.

Policy responses to growth in road traffic volumes must be based on an integrated approach to transport requirements. This involves increased investment in road infrastructure, but also improvement of public transport, management of road transport demand, promotion of alternative transport modes and better co-ordination of transport and land use planning. These matters are being addressed through the Operational Programme for Transport 1994-99, in urban transport initiatives such as the DTI, and in the preparation of proposals for investment in transport infrastructure under the national development plan for the post-1999 period.