Public transport investment urgently needed to tackle escalating traffic problems – Cuffe

Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Wicklow Cllr Jenn Cuffe says the traffic gridlock along the M50 last Wednesday is a prime example of the urgent need for investment in public transport.

Cllr Cuffe pointed out that heavy traffic and long delays are becoming a daily reality for countless commuters in Wicklow and across the Greater Dublin Area.

“The long delay faced by commuters across Wicklow last Wednesday following the closure of the M50 clearly demonstrates that we have a growing problem with traffic in the Greater Dublin Area,” said Cllr Cuffe.

“The Government is expecting commuters to put up with increasing delays on their daily journeys to and from work. It has been a growing problem over the last year and is likely to get much worse in the coming weeks and months. The failure by the Government to invest in public transport is a key part of the problem.

“The M50 is already over capacity despite the fact that it acts as the main route to north and south Dublin alongside the city centre itself. Any accident along the route has the potential to cause gridlock on roads across the Greater Dublin Area. People in north Wicklow in particular are very aware of this problem as they are experiencing it daily.

“Commuters are growing increasingly frustrated with the excessive delays they are expected to endure just to get to work. Despite this the Government has taken no action to alleviate the problem. It decided to mothball important projects such as DART Underground and other investment plans for the DART network which would help in relieving the pressure on the M50 and provide an alternative transport option for commuters.

“Action on the growing transport problem in Wicklow and Dublin is long-overdue. It’s time for the Government to sit up and recognise that public transport investment must be a top priority to keep the Greater Dublin Area moving.”