The old maxim about several buses coming along at once certainly applies to the announcement by the National Transport Authority at a city hotel earlier this week. The headline act is the possibility of a 24-hour bus service, but let’s not go queuing at 4.45am just yet as it could be two years before that bus pulls up.
However, I do like their way of thinking, because at last it will be about providing viable alternatives to the use of the car in our city of cars. Much has been written over the past decade about the dependance of citizens on the car network, for a variety of reasons. The comfort, the privacy, but in some cases, because of the lack of an alternative service to bring you to and from your destination at a. time of your choosing.
Galway is a city that lives around the clock. We have employers who operate on time zones elsewhere on the globe; we have a nightlife that, for it to be sustainable, needs to reassure its patrons that they can go out and get home in a safe manner and at a time of their choosing;we have a large number of medical employees whose shifts go through the night.
That is why, in a public transport sense, the city seemed to be shutting down right as a large section of potential customers were only heading out or starting their shift.
Many of the new developments planned for the city over the next decade are being conceived with the idea of their occupants using public transport to get to A and B. We have already heard of several being denied planning permission because they are not in close proximity to a public transport services. So there is no doubt that the future quality of life in the city and its environs will depend on the provision of bus or tram services that will be available when people want them.
There is a great and inclusive joy to be had through being able to get and from your place of work, study, leisure without having the added stress of logjams, of finding parking, of contributing to the climate crisis, or of feeling smug but selfish sitting in your own car surrounded by your own personal space.
Public transport can help to promote social inclusion by connecting people from different backgrounds and providing a means of travel for those who may not be able to afford a private vehicle. It can also help to reduce social isolation, particularly among older people, by providing a means of travel to social activities and events.
It is also a great leveller, it eschews perceived superiority. Overall, good flexible public transportation can play an important role in promoting social inclusion by providing increased access, mobility, and connectivity for all members of the community, regardless of their socio-economic status. That is why this week’s news is welcome, a welcome start and a reason why we should all partake in the consultation process that will run for the next six weeks.
