Written Answers Nos. 575-588
576. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of registered wheelchair accessible vehicles, WAVs, in operation prior to July 2014; if he will provide the number of WAVs in each county up to July 2014 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45277/14]
View answer577. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of applications to date received for the new grant aid of €1 million fund for wheelchair accessible vehicles introduced in July 2014; and if he will provide in tabular form the number of applications per county; the number that have been approved up to date and the total funding expended on successful applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45281/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 576 and 577 together.
The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, including the granting of wheelchair accessible taxi/hackney licences, and the management of the grant scheme for wheelchair accessible vehicles introduced in July of this year.
I have referred your questions to the NTA for direct reply to you. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.
578. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide in tabular form the number of pedestrians killed on our roads from 2010 to date in 2014; if he will classify where those fatalities occurred by class of road that is motorway, national, regional and local roads; if there was public lighting at that road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45289/14]
View answerResponsibility for the compilation and maintenance of road safety statistics rests with the Road Safety Authority (RSA). However, the number of pedestrian fatalities on our roads from 2010 to 2014, reported to me by the RSA on Friday, 21st November, is:
Number of Pedestrian Fatalities by Road Type 2010 - 2012
|
- |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
Total |
|
Two-way single carriageway |
31 |
40 |
24 |
95 |
|
One-way single carriageway |
1 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
|
Dual carriageway |
5 |
4 |
1 |
10 |
|
Motorway |
4 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
|
Unknown |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Total |
44 |
47 |
29 |
120 |
Number of Pedestrian Fatalities by Road Type 2013 - 2014*
|
- |
2013 |
2014** |
Total |
|
Local |
8 |
13 |
21 |
|
Rural |
14 |
11 |
25 |
|
National |
8 |
5 |
13 |
|
Motorway |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Unknown |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
Total |
31 |
32 |
63 |
* 2013 and 2014 provisional figures
** 2014 figures are up to 16th November
Note that the 2013 and 2014 data is provisional and subject to change.
The number of deaths on our roads is a major concern, with pedestrians being amongst the most vulnerable of road users. Some 20% of road fatalities so far this year have been pedestrians. The current Road Safety Strategy, which runs from 2013 to 2020, contains a number of measures to ensure greater safety in pedestrian activities. As in all areas of road safety, this involves a range of measures, but, ultimately, it is also important that pedestrians, like all road-users, take responsibility for their own safety. This includes the use of high visibility clothing, particularly during the winter months. My Department and I will work with the RSA and the other appropriate bodies to ensure that the recommendations in the Strategy are implemented.
581. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding plans for Dalymount Park's redevelopment along with Dublin City Council, the FAI, Bohemian FC and Shelbourne FC; the stage the project is currently at; if there are firm timeframes in his Department for completion of the project of a potential ground-share between Bohemian FC and Shelbourne FC; and if funds have been earmarked for such a project at this stage [45301/14]
View answerI am aware that Dublin City Council is examining a proposal involving Dalymount Park and the two clubs referred to by the Deputy. However the proposal is at an early stage and the question of any allocation from my Department does not arise at this stage.
582. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on measures to integrate the Leap card payment system with public service vehicles such as taxis or hackneys, as occurs within a number of countries to provide further integration within the transport network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45308/14]
View answerResponsibility to develop, procure, implement, operate and maintain the Leap Card system is a function of the National Transport Authority (NTA).
Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
583. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on proposals to replace the Irish rail gauge of 1,600 mm to the international standard gauge of 1,435 mm when electrification and line replacements are undertaken in the medium to long term, in order to lower the costs for train cars, facilitate international integration with the rail system of the United Kingdom in the event of an undersea tunnel being constructed in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45309/14]
View answerI have no plans to replace the Irish rail gauge with the international standard gauge and I am not aware of any such plans by the Authorities in Northern Ireland either. As the Deputy will be aware the rail gauge on the island of Ireland is different to that in mainland United Kingdom.
While I am aware that the idea of an undersea tunnel linking Ireland and mainland UK has been suggested from time to time, there are no such plans under consideration by the Government. In addition, given the likely costs involved, and other priorities in the transport area for limited funding it is difficult to envisage such a tunnel being developed with Exchequer funds in the foreseeable future.
584. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on road tolling in the present economic climate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45312/14]
View answerAs I indicated recently, there are no plans to introduce additional tolls during this Government's term in office.
As regards the contracts for the privately-operated toll schemes, these are commercial agreements between the NRA and the PPP concessionaires concerned. Under the terms of the PPP Contracts, the PPP Company has the right to levy toll charges in accordance with the Toll Bye-Laws.
In relation to the toll on the M50 and the Dublin Port Tunnel, the revenue generated is used to meet road networks costs, including the buyout of the Westlink bridge and the M50 upgrade availability payments.
585. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on investigating further methods to increase the average speed of the Luas by improving signalling priority to ensure that less time is spent at road traffic lights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45317/14]
View answerThe issue raised is a matter for the relevant local authority, which has responsibility for the setting and phasing of traffic signal priorities. I understand that, in the case of Luas junctions, there is a considerable amount of liaison between the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA), Transdev and the local authorities in relation to traffic priorities.
586. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the capacity estimates for the proposed BRT line from Dublin city centre to Swords and comparable capacity estimates for an upgrade of Dublin bus frequency times along the same route; his views on the cost benefit of the proposed BRT system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45318/14]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for developing public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects.
The NTA's Integrated Implementation Plan 2013-2018 has identified that Bus Rapid Transit schemes could play a significant role in the improvement of public transport in the Dublin region and has accordingly proposed three BRT schemes for Dublin, one of which is the Swords-Airport to City Centre corridor.
The NTA is currently undertaking a public consultation process in relation to the preferred option for this corridor, the details of which are available on their website: http://www.nationaltransport.ie/consultations/public-consultation-on-swiftway-bus-rapid-transit-swordsairport-to-city-centre/.
I have not received the business case demonstrating the costs and benefits for the Swords BRT project, which I understand is currently under preparation by the NTA and should be available by year end.
Once received the business case will be reviewed to consider all the relevant issues that will determine whether this project will adequately address a public transport deficit and deliver value for money over an appropriate time period. If the answer is positive then it will be considered for prioritisation for additional funding, if available, together with other competing transport projects.
587. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 267 of 9 October 2014, if he has any further updates following his instruction to his officials to explore options with their UK and Northern Ireland colleagues to mitigate the effect of the levy on Irish hauliers; his plans to introduce a similar road levy charge here; if not, the reasons for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45322/14]
View answerAs I have previously stated, the UK HGV road user levy is an unwelcome development, especially in its effect on Irish hauliers operating in the Border region. The UK authorities have rejected all requests to have significant sections of the Northern Ireland roads infrastructure exempted from the levy and have agreed to exclude only approximately 7 km of roads that criss-cross the Border. With regard to mitigating the effect of the UK levy, I have recently met with the Minister for Finance and representatives of the road haulage sector to discuss the impact of the levy and other charges on Irish hauliers. I am pleased to report that the Minister for Finance has committed to reducing road tax on HGVs of over 12 tonnes, with a tapering of the reduction for vehicles below that weight, starting in next year’s budget.
In relation to the introduction of a pay-as-you-go road user levy charge in Ireland, this is one of the issues being examined by my Department through the cross-Departmental Group on HGV Road Charging. The Group will issue a consultation paper on potential reform of the commercial vehicle motor tax system to stakeholders by the end of November 2014. On completion of the consultation process, the Group will submit a report with its recommendations to the Ministers of Transport, Environment and Finance for their consideration.
588. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if Bus Éireann and other public transport providers are required to meet obligations under the 2005 Disability Act, including providing wheelchair accessible travel; and the measures at the his disposal to direct compliance with such obligations particularly in view of the importance of ensuring public transport serves all of the public and with reference the particular route of Galway to Clifden. [45337/14]
View answerAccessibility improvements to public transport services are being advanced in the context of Transport Access for All, my Department's Sectoral Plan under the Disability Act 2005. The 2013 Plan sets out a series of policy objectives and targets for accessible public transport across all modes. However, while significant progress has already been achieved, much remains to be done and work in that regard is ongoing.
While, as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, the securing of provision of public passenger transport services is one of the principal functions of the National Transport Authority (NTA) established on 1 December 2009.
Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NTA for direct reply with regard to the second and third parts therein. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.
