Skip to main content
Normal View

Traffic Management

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021

Tuesday, 28 September 2021

Questions (265)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

265. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Transport if consideration has been given to allowing the use of bus lanes by volunteer drivers transporting persons to and from medical facilities, hospitals specifically, for the treatment of serious and life-threatening conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46682/21]

View answer

Written answers

While I acknowledge the hard work and very valuable contribution made by volunteer charity drivers, I do not intend at this time to extend scarce and valuable bus lane access to additional users without careful consideration of the impacts, including the potential for delays to buses and emergency services who currently have such access, and consultation with those affected, including such services, the Garda Síochána and relevant state agencies.

The current bus lane network was created at considerable expense to the public with the express purpose of providing on-street priority for bus-based public transport. Bus lanes are designed to make bus journeys both faster and more reliable so as to encourage members of the public out of their cars and onto public transport. This, in turn, reduces both congestion and air pollution and is considerably more environmentally sustainable than car-based transport in the long run. As the populations of our urban centres multiply and public awareness of the importance of sustainable transport grows, it is likely that both bus passenger numbers and, by extension, the provision of bus services and the demand for bus lanes will continue to increase year on year. As a result it is critically important that bus lanes be allowed serve the purpose for which they were installed in the first place.

Since bus lanes were first introduced, there have been many requests to allow other classes of traffic to use the lanes. These have included requests on behalf of motorcyclists, multi-occupancy vehicles, electric vehicles, hackneys, animal ambulances, prison vehicles, and others. My predecessors as Ministers for Transport and myself have always consistently rejected these requests on the grounds that any addition to the categories of vehicle permitted to use the lanes would inevitably reduce their efficiency for performing their original purpose, which has become even more critical in light of the current climate emergency.

Top
Share