MetroLink South West should be the priority, not public transport fare increases

Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has said that the Government should reject further increases in public transport fares and instead set a clear objective to make MetroLink South West a reality this side of 2040.

Speaking in the Dáil last night, Teachta Crowe said:

Public transport is essential public infrastructure. It connects people to work, education, healthcare, family and community. This debate is not simply about what a bus or train ticket costs but what kind of transport system we want to build for the decades ahead.

“The Government should reject further increases in public transport fares and instead begin a serious transition towards a universal, free public transport system as a public good. That would require investment and sustainable public funding.

“We should also recognise the wider costs of our current transport system which include congestion, pollution, high household transport costs, social exclusion and the enormous amount of time that people lose sitting in traffic.

“Making public transport affordable is only one part of the challenge. We also need a massive expansion of capacity. The State must accelerate investment in rail and public transport infrastructure right across Dublin. MetroLink is an important part of that investment, but ambition cannot stop there.

“Communities across the south and south west of the city and county have waited long enough for high-capacity public transport. We need a clear plan for MetroLink South West, with the route, funding, planning and delivery programmes established without further delay.

“We cannot be serious about climate action without reducing congestion or giving people a genuine alternative to the car. Equally, we cannot be talking about delivery some time in the future.

“We should set ourselves a clear objective to make MetroLink South West a reality this side of 2040. A public transport system should allow people to get to work, schools, hospitals and communities without having to choose between making that journey and paying another bill.”