Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Irish Transport Policy

An Irish Rail Commuter Train, yesterdayThis surely is a great little nation. That Wise Old Owl of fiscal prudence, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen, today announced that the Government is to spend €34 billion on improving the Irish transport infrastructure. And isn't it badly needed, to link those blue and red hub towns that house all those decentralised public servants? Time for a reality check. As a nation, we've managed to build 22 miles of M50 motorway in 25 years. We've taken eleven years to build this LUAS that we're all clapping ourselves on the back about, despite the fact that all it's done is depopulate the bus routes proximal to either of its two lines. The LUAS effect on actual traffic is minimal. Decentralisation of public servants is a stupid idea in the first place, decentralisation of Dublin's urban sprawl will never happen as there are too many vested interests making too much money out of it, and An Spailpín Fánach is sick, sore and tired of listening to this shit all his life. I don't hear much yap out of Eddie Hobbs about all this either. Go bhfoire Dia orainn agus ar ár dtir bheag bhocht.