The principle mode of transport to work in Ireland is the Car. According to “Census 2002 Volume 9 – Travel to Work, School and College”. The report gives the final population figures classified by means of travel to work, school and college, time of leaving home, time taken, distance travelled and the number of cars per household. Of the 1.6 million workers in Ireland in April 2002, 55 percent drove themselves to work by car. When account is taken of workers who travelled to as passengers the figure rises to 69 per cent.
In Dublin City and its suburbs just over 47 percent of workers drove to work. The town with the highest proportion of workers commuting to work by car was Carrigaline at 74 percent, followed by Dunboyne at 70 percent, Tramore 67 percent and Naas 65 percent.
Clearly it would be more environmentall friendly if people could be taken out of their cars and put onto public transport - and let me convey to Dublin readers that as beyond the pale there is no DART, LUAS and little railtrack that I’m referring to busses when I use the term.
There are many reasons why people don’t get busses, to take the example of Carrigaline from above, many workers travel to the Pharmachemical centre of Ringaskiddy, yet there is no bus between the two! a worker who wished to play his part would have to travel first in the wrong direction North to Cork City for 35 minutes, wait in the station for 25 minutes, and then get a bus from Cork City to Ringaskiddy 35 minutes, and it’s not just time consuming, it’s actually expensive about EUR 9.50 in single tickets, or EUR 19 per day, and therein - in a simple way - lies the reason for the high car usage.
The Government controls Bus Eireann, and likes to save the environment, but regular readers will recall I contend the Government’s primary concern is collecting money. The government is delighted that car usage is high, they enjoy the income from New car VAT & VRT, from Repair VAT, from Petrol and Diesel Excise, from Road Tax, from the NCT, from the 2 percent motor insurance levy, and so on. While running Bus Eireann actually swallows funds!
Like an investor it’s interest in in profits, some will say the Kyoto emmisions charges will force it to improve public transport, but one predicts it will instead increase motor taxation. Continue reading ‘Bus Usage in Ireland’
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