Cork Transport
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Jerry “CSD supporter†Buttimer after 5 Minutes in city council and still wet behind the ears now proposes that Cork City Council withdraw the 10 million funding for Green Bus routes in the city as they do not work.
I almost agree that the funding should be pulled UNTIL someone sits down and drafts a proper Green Route for Buses – i am thinking of the “green route” from frankfield to douglas whereby the bus gets full at grange, the bus then tears down the hill, turns left at grange cross where the existing traffic was squashed into one lane and then the bus joins in the traffic at the end of the hill anyway so what was the point of spending all the money? It was simply road markings that went in AND the bus co STILL ignores the other direction from frankfield which leads directly on to the main artery in to the city and surely could be used as an express route
@kite wrote:
😮 Jerry “CSD supporter†Buttimer after 5 Minutes in city council and still wet behind the ears now proposes that Cork City Council withdraw the 10 million funding for Green Bus routes in the city as they do not work. This according to the councilor willing to jump on any 3 wheeled bandwagon to get his name in the papers, plus
all this guff from a councilor that cribbed to the City Manager on 25th April 2005 about the temporary closure of the No.8 Green Route outside the CUH to allow for the realignment of a kerb for safety reasons.
We really do get a “special†type of local representative here in Cork? :rolleyes:Agree with you and Buttimer (shudder to say it!). I think most of the green routes have been a phenomenal waste of money and are completely ineffective. I am in favour of them, but only if done right, and that includes increasing bus frequencies to a point where the bus lane is an efficient use of finite road space.
@Pug wrote:
Jerry “CSD supporter†Buttimer after 5 Minutes in city council and still wet behind the ears now proposes that Cork City Council withdraw the 10 million funding for Green Bus routes in the city as they do not work.
I almost agree that the funding should be pulled UNTIL someone sits down and drafts a proper Green Route for Buses – i am thinking of the “green route” from frankfield to douglas whereby the bus gets full at grange, the bus then tears down the hill, turns left at grange cross where the existing traffic was squashed into one lane and then the bus joins in the traffic at the end of the hill anyway so what was the point of spending all the money? It was simply road markings that went in AND the bus co STILL ignores the other direction from frankfield which leads directly on to the main artery in to the city and surely could be used as an express route
Yes the No.6 Should run clockwise at a greater frequency as an express through the South Link rather than getting stuck and causing traffic jams in Douglas West.
@Angry Rebel wrote:
Agree with you and Buttimer (shudder to say it!). I think most of the green routes have been a phenomenal waste of money and are completely ineffective. I am in favour of them, but only if done right, and that includes increasing bus frequencies to a point where the bus lane is an efficient use of finite road space.
I’m in two minds on them. As bus priority measures, they fail miserably. However, they have been generally beneficial for pedestrians on the South Douglas Rd route at least. I suppose most of those would survive if the bus portion was scrapped anyway.
@Spinal Tap wrote:
Yes the No.6 Should run clockwise at a greater frequency as an express through the South Link rather than getting stuck and causing traffic jams in Douglas West.
I don’t know if I agree with this proposal. A decent number of travellers on the bus are students attending Douglas Community and Colaiste Chriost a’ Ri. It wouldn’t work for these passengers, nor would it work for travellers between the South Douglas Road and town.
A possible alternative would be tor run it as a circular route in both directions, so passengers in Grange could get an express service in if desired.
Mind you, I’ve previously said that I’d like to see this route extended to the airport for all the people in Grance who work there and that might not be practical with this proposal.
@jungle wrote:
I don’t know if I agree with this proposal. A decent number of travellers on the bus are students attending Douglas Community and Colaiste Chriost a’ Ri. It wouldn’t work for these passengers, nor would it work for travellers between the South Douglas Road and town.
i should have clarified, i meant the bus should go both ways, an express from grange from super value car park or someting, i’m sure they wouldnt mind a lot of people wandering into their shop in the mornings for coffee and sandwiches! and then the usual route the other way. as someone said in another post, needs to be a regular bus up to the airport bus pk as well, either from town and/or suburbs, a quick poll of workers there would sort that.
@Pug wrote:
Cork Transport Authority required ASAP.
In smaller papers recently that Cork is to get Double deckers back again. I’d prefer a highyl frequent smaller bus service for in/around the city and the higher volume ones then going to the suburbs. Bus service in carrigaline diabolical.
Today the Minister for Transport has confirmed the establishment of a Dublin Transportation Authority.
I’m sure we’re next!! any day now………
@Pug wrote:
Today the Minister for Transport has confirmed the establishment of a Dublin Transportation Authority.
I’m sure we’re next!! any day now………
One of the great frustrations in Cork has always been that things get done at the same time as other regional cities. I’m sure we’ll one day see a Cork Bus 30 years after the creation of Dublin Bus. On the same day, Galway Bus and Limerick Bus will come into existence. While, we don’t have the same needs as Dublin, the size of the city suggests it should be given a status between the other regional cities and Dublin.
I might fire off a letter to the local TDs asking them if they’ll put in a Dail question about whether the minister thinks it would be a good idea to have transport in Cork organised more locally.
@jungle wrote:
One of the great frustrations in Cork has always been that things get done at the same time as other regional cities. I’m sure we’ll one day see a Cork Bus 30 years after the creation of Dublin Bus. On the same day, Galway Bus and Limerick Bus will come into existence. While, we don’t have the same needs as Dublin, the size of the city suggests it should be given a status between the other regional cities and Dublin.
I might fire off a letter to the local TDs asking them if they’ll put in a Dail question about whether the minister thinks it would be a good idea to have transport in Cork organised more locally.
But Jungle, does the minister think?
@jungle wrote:
There are examples all over the city.
The 6 to Grange and the 7 to Donnybrook travel several miles beyond Douglas, yet even the near end of the Rochestown Road is on the non city bus fares.
Yet, many of the estates in Rochestown have been there since I was a young kid.
Just to re-emphasise how rubbish the buses in Cork are, I’ll give you a story told by my sister.
She was waiting for a number 7 on the Douglas Road (supposedly one every 20 mins). After 40 minutes, there still hadn’t been one and she phoned Bus Eireann. She was told that there had been a crash (We’ll have to take their word for that) and that the number 7 was disrupted. As she said, what really galled her was that around 5 or 6 Carrigaline, Crosshaven, Haulbowline buses etc. had passed her as she was waiting. Now, normally these don’t stop on the way into the city to provide a speedier service, but how hard would it be to stop them in circumstances where they know the normal city buses aren’t running?
Once last February whilst getting the No.6 in to town from Frankfield an almost fill 7.50am bus struggled to get back up the hill to Grange and then broke down ! The next bus 10minutes later picked up most of us and took us as far only as Douglas where it broke down at the start of the south Douglas Road and was told to disembark and wait for the next bus which continued to pass us out full on their way into the city !!! I hailed a taxi.Never again will I try to depend on Corks buses in the morning.
Valid ticket for sale !@Pug wrote:
Today the Minister for Transport has confirmed the establishment of a Dublin Transportation Authority.
I’m sure we’re next!! any day now………
ah well, it was good while it lasted, the interim head of the DTA resigned yesterday when she found out that
the DTA will not, as recommended by her team, have power to override local authorities on land-use issues to make sure their plans are not inconsistent with transport objectives.Mr Cullen said the Government had decided not to accept all the recommendations of the team on the basis that they might dilute the “democratic accountability” of the planning process. Whereas the planning and infrastructure bill currently in process that leaps an application straight to Bord Pleanala doesnt dilute the process at all.
An easy way to end delays at bus-stops would surely be to let passengers board the bus through the front doors only and let passengers disembark through the middle doors only. I presume the reason it isn’t done in Cork is the unavailability of the swipe access for multiple travel. However the driver should be able to control fare dodgers – they’re can’t be that many – not in Cork anyway, I don’t want to bring Baile Atha Cliath into this thread!! 🙂
@Ebeck wrote:
An easy way to end delays at bus-stops would surely be to let passengers board the bus through the front doors only and let passengers disembark through the middle doors only. I presume the reason it isn’t done in Cork is the unavailability of the swipe access for multiple travel. However the driver should be able to control fare dodgers – they’re can’t be that many – not in Cork anyway, I don’t want to bring Baile Atha Cliath into this thread!! 🙂
It certainly shouldn’t be a problem at suburban stops, where there is usually only two or three people getting on at a time.
However, a number of the buses in Cork don’t have middle doors.
CUH confirms plans for park and ride sites at sports clubs
By Eoin EnglishMUNSTER’S biggest hospital confirmed plans yesterday to develop park and ride sites for its staff on the grounds of two sports clubs.
Cork University Hospital (CUH) struck deals with Bishopstown GAA club and with Highfield Rugby Club earlier this year to locate park and walk sites for its staff on the clubs’ car parks.
But it emerged yesterday that the hospital now has plans to locate staff park and ride sites in Curraheen and Ballincollig.
Following talks with CUH’s commuter plan managers, Ballincollig Rugby Club has applied to Cork County Council for planning permission for a partial change of use of its existing car park to develop a 68-space park and ride for hospital staff.
It is hoped the facility, which will open subject to agreement from 7.30am to 6pm, with buses running at 8am and 9am, will be operational by March 2007.
Talks are also underway with management at Curraheen Park greyhound track with a view to developing a 100-space park and ride site for hospital staff in the car park there. It will operate, again subject to agreement, along similar lines as the Ballincollig facility.
The Health Service Executive said financial arrangements had not been finalised.
“The possibility of providing a service based on a site in the south eastern suburbs or at the city councils Black Ash park and ride is also under active consideration,†a spokesperson said.
It is understood the HSE’s deal with Bishopstown GAA club is in the region of €25,000 a year.
A three-month trial of that facility ends later this month but it is expected to become permanent.
Ballincollig-based county councillor Derry Canty (FG) said he was in favour of a park and ride at the town’s rugby club.
“I support it fully. Anything that will alleviate the traffic going through Ballincollig and Bishopstown is a good thing.â€
His party colleague and city counterpart, Bishopstown-based Cllr Jerry Buttimer, welcomed the moves to develop a similar facility at Curraheen park.
“Anything that will reduce the level of on-street parking and traffic congestion in Bishopstown must be welcomed,†he said.
In his capacity as chairman of Bishopstown GAA club, Mr Buttimer was involved in negotiations for the park and walk on the club’s grounds.
He called for a fundamental review of how planning applications from large institutions like CUH, the Cork Institute of Technology and FÃS are dealt with in terms of parking requirements.
It’s pretty depressing really. The fact that an individual employer has to provide Park and Ride facilities speaks volumes about the poor state of public transport in the city.
What about a Park and Ride site near Bishopstown Court, which serves CUH and UCC on the way into the city centre?
Anybody know anything about the Inner Link Road – Blackpool By-Pass to the N22
A new road linking the Western Road to the Blackpool bypass. I’ve been stuggling for the last few days to figure out how this one is going to work. Any ideas. Anyone know the details ?
@Micko wrote:
Anybody know anything about the Inner Link Road – Blackpool By-Pass to the N22
A new road linking the Western Road to the Blackpool bypass. I’ve been stuggling for the last few days to figure out how this one is going to work. Any ideas. Anyone know the details ?
this is not a new road – the monies allocated are probably for further upgrade of the existing route between the Brewery end of blackpool bypass across christy ring, down lavitt’s quay, bachelor’s quay and up grattan street to western road – this is seen as a strategic route.
Our esteemed minister is up to his old tricks.
Cullen challenged over ‘rehashed’ estimate
Tim O’Brien, Irish Times, 18th November 2007Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has defended his Budget estimate against Opposition claims that he provided money for the same work on the same projects last year.
At a press conference in Dublin yesterday, Mr Cullen said his record allocation in the 2007 Budget Estimates would cover issues such as the start of construction on the Luas extension to Cherrywood, and the expansion to four tracks of rail services to Co Kildare.
Among other items which Mr Cullen said would be funded this year were the start of work on Cork commuter rail services as well as planning for the reopening of phase one of the Navan railway line.
I don’t think that road I am talking about is an old road. According to the developments in Cork thread 200000 is being spent on its design and it to link to the N22 on the “Western Road”.
From this morning’s quondam Cork Examiner:
20 November 2006
Road toll the last straw for commuters taxed beyond the limit
THERE has been much press coverage dedicated to the subject of drivers avoiding the new Fermoy bypass toll road in favour of the old road.
It is being commented on in such a way that one could be forgiven for thinking these recalcitrant motorists were evading their social obligations in some way by refusing to capitulate to the latest highway robbery.
Both the Irish Examiner and Evening Echo have irritatingly chosen to refer to such motorists as ‘toll dodgers’.
As one who commutes daily to Cork via Mitchelstown and Fermoy I feel it would be more in your line to refer to the motorists who actually conform to this blatant and brazen double charge rip-off as ‘toll-suckers’.
Why should anyone fork out twice (toll and road tax) for the right to use a road that was all of 25 years in the making while we were gridlocked in Fermoy and Mitchelstown.
Let’s look at this ill-conceived toll idea in the context of the larger economic picture.
Firstly, I need to remind the Government responsible for this fiasco that single persons earning in excess of just €36,000 pay income tax at a rate of 42%. They also pay PRSI at a rate of 4%. And they pay levies at a rate of 2%, bringing the total tax take on much of their income to 48%. If they work hard on overtime or earn a bonus, guess what? All taxable at 48%.
Secondly, anyone who purchased a principal private residence in recent years would have paid an exorbitant price for the property and an exorbitant amount of stamp duty in the process.
Many have been stretched to the limit and beyond to repay such astronomical sums. Many more would have had to borrow the stamp duty as well, so the true cost of this tax would run to multiples of the original outrageous sum.
All of this must be funded from ‘after-tax’ income. These same people have now suffered no less than five interest rate hikes in the last 12 months.
If they have a family they have also faced major increases in their VHI bills, home heating oil and motor fuel, all of which must be funded from after-tax income — not to mention general inflation rates significantly above EU levels for years now.
If these same people bought new cars recently, they would have paid completely unjustifiable levels of vehicle registration tax. They then had to pay expensive road tax, although God knows why.
They had to pay car insurance, which included a Government levy.
The petrol has VAT added, of course, and when the car is serviced, what’s that at the end of the bill? Oh yeah, yet more VAT for the Government.
And when the tyres or any other part of the car need changing, VAT applies as well. Parking discs need to be purchased to avoid being clamped and forking out another outrageous sum to the authorities.
In the meantime, the value of the car is depreciating at a rate of knots, a phenomenon that cannot be written off against tax by the PAYE worker.
It’s frightening to think that these enormous amounts of indirect taxes going to the Government for running a car are out of after-tax income.
In other words, all of this is out of 58% of the income left over after the Government has taken its direct slice. Truly breathtaking.
So just as you think every last avenue for screwing the PAYE worker has been utterly exhausted, what does the Government do?
It now reasons that if PAYE workers stay quiet while being relieved of the lion’s share of everything they earn, then surely it can safely get away with adding insult to much injury by charging them to use the roads also out of after-tax income (as if there was any left).
This public/private partnership must have sore sides from laughing at what they are allowed to put over on the Irish public, and in particular on the People’s Republic of Cork.
But €1.60 sounds reasonable, I hear you say. Think again. If you need to use that road twice a day, six days a week, you will need to earn €2,000 gross per annum to fund it. In other words, if you’re happy to use it daily you’ve just given yourself a €2,000 pay cut for the year with no reduction in your income tax.
As if all that wasn’t bad enough, they then have the gall unashamedly (and hopefully illegally) to usurp the Watergrasshill bypass, putting the lives of the residents and their children in mortal danger.
How dare they even think about charging for a new road in these circumstances. It’s completely unacceptable. Lobby the politicians and give the Government its long overdue reality check.
Kevin Fitzsimons
Knockrour
Kilbehenny
Mitchelstown
Co Cork😎 RYANAIR is about to launch a fresh bid to establish a new hub at Cork Airport.
Its deputy chief executive, Michael Cawley, will brief the city’s Oireachtas members on Thursday about how the low-fares giant could transform the airport’s old terminal building into a thriving new centre.
Eoin English’s full story on;
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