GREENS CLAIM PUBLIC TRANSPORT NEGLECTED IN 2003 ESTIMATES FOR WICKLOW

Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca, raised this issue at the council meeting and insisted that the County Manager clarify whether any of the expenditure for the coming year was being allocated to promoting public transport in the county."I am afraid to say that no expenditiure has been allocated to the promotion of public transport in Wicklow in this year's Estimates" says councillor de Burca. "For example, I would have hoped that money might have been set aside for carrying out a feasability study into rural bus services for various parts of the county" she says.

Councillor de Burca points out that all of the money available under the Transport section of the Estimates was allocated to roads."This bears out what the Green Party has been saying for a long time now" she says. "Lip service is paid to the notion of reducing car-dependency by providing accessible and effective public transport services, but the political will is just not there. Any available money is spent on roads".

At last Monday's meeting councillor de Burca criticised the large suburban estates which have recently been built in towns like Arklow and Wicklow. She claims that the size of the estates and their distance from shops, schools and other services means that people are obliged to drive everywhere. "One partner usually needs a car to get to work" says de Burca " and the other partner who is looking after the kids definitely needs a car to bring them anywhere. We are making people car-dependent because of the planning decisions we make and because we refuse to transfer funding from roads to buses and trains" she says.

Councillor de Burca was also very critical of the failure of Wicklow TDs to ensure that the current plans for developing Metro and Luas lines for Dublin would also benefit Wicklow. "The Green Party is the only political party to suggest that the metro line be extended to Bray" she says. "I have not heard a single Wicklow TD argue that the Luas line should be extended from Tallaght to Blessington. These rail services are at a crucial stage of planning at the moment and if Wicklow does not lobby hard, we will miss out on the chance of having this new public transport infrastructure to service the people of Wicklow".

For further information please contact Deirdre de Burca on 086 8061450 or email deburca@wicklowgreens.org.