Vol. 542 No. 3
4 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her views on the contents of the recently published CIE annual report which estimated that traffic gridlock is costing the company £40 million per annum; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24533/01]
I have noted from the statement by the chairman, in the latest annual report of CIE, that he has estimated the cost of gridlock to the CIE Group to be £40 million or 50.79 million a year in operating costs. However, he has also stated that the significant investment in public transport being made under the national development plan has begun to yield benefits. This investment is going towards extra services and extra capacity in both rail and bus as well as improving quality bus corridors and a new light rail system for Dublin.
In his statement, he also described in detail the progress made. Since that report, further progress has been made and more can be expected in the coming years as further projects are delivered. The most notable projects are the delivery of an additional 12 DART cars later this year or early next year, the first delivery of 80 diesel rail cars next year, the completion of the Luas project in 2003 and the delivery of additional QBCs. Since the NDP was launched, good progress has been made in expanding public transport and giving it the priority it deserves in tackling urban congestion.
(Mayo): Does the Minister accept the finding of the report that apart from the extra £40 million which gridlock is costing CIE in delays, the journey by bus from Dublin city centre to Blanchardstown now takes 45 minutes longer than three or four years ago? Contrary to her comment that matters are improving, the fact that this damning indictment emanates from a company in which she is the main shareholder is a sign that matters are disimproving.
I admire that candid statement by the chairman of CIE. Why should he seek to mask that fact? There is no reason for him to do so. There have been great improvements in infrastructure. The management of road usage and management of matters which come under my remit and that of Deputy Dempsey need to be sharpened up if the situation is to be remedied. There have been huge improvements and huge money has been invested in public transport. That is a fact of life.
(Mayo): Does the Minister not accept that if a bus journey from Blanchardstown to the city centre takes 45 minutes extra, irrespective of new buses and QBCs, does this not undermine the Government campaign to get people to switch from private transport to public transport? Does the Minister not accept that Dublin effectively is choking to death? There are now traffic jams not alone at peak times during the evening and morning, but traffic jams where they never were before and traffic jams all day long.
There is no doubt that the transition from less usage of private motor transport to more usage of public transport will take much longer than was anticipated. My job, through the Minister for Finance, is to get the money to provide the necessary infrastructure for public transport and I have been doing that consistently since I took office. There needs to be a much greater management of road use between public and private transport. I have previously expressed the opinion as has my colleague, Deputy Dempsey, that it would be best to have a transport Department which would look after both public transport and road transport.
(Mayo): Is the Minister talking about an amalgamation of the traffic responsibilities of the Department of the Environment and Local Government and her Department? Does she mean a new Department which would synchronise and co-ordinate everything under one roof rather than the present situation where the Minister for the Environment and Local Government is responsible for certain aspects and the Minister for Public Enterprise is responsible for other aspects? Will the Minister tell us what is the latest scheduled delivery time for Luas? When will the Luas show pieces be taken out of the garages and put on to the streets? What is the delivery date for the metro?
The date for Luas is the same as when I spoke in this House on the issue, the date is 2003. Donal Mangan, the project director has no doubt that the delivery date will be met. I do not have the reply about the metro with me but I will send the details to the Deputy.
