Shoppers from throughout Co Galway are being encouraged to avail of the Galway City Council’s Christmas Park and Ride campaign which takes in bus and rail services this year.
The campaign was launched yesterday in the new Galway Coach Station, Fairgreen, by the Mayor of Galway Cllr Padraig Conneely. It seeks to encourage shoppers to use public transport as a way of easing movement throughout the city and combating traffic congestion at this busy time of year.
The service begins next Wednesday and will continue up to Christmas Eve, Wednesday December 24.
The council is targeting commuters and shoppers by offering all day parking in Galway Racecourse and travel by bus for car drivers and their passengers to the Galway Coach Station – all for just €2 return. As with previous years, city council’s service will offer 15 minute frequency from 7.30am to 9.30pm, Mondays to Saturdays, and from 11am to 7pm on Sundays.
The council feels this service will be attractive to people travelling to work, to education, or to shop in Galway via the Dublin Road (N6 ), the Tuam Road (NI7 ), or the Monivea Road.
Outbound, the service will begin at Galway Racecourse, Ballybrit, Parkmore Road, Monivea Road, Bothar na dTreabh (Dual Carriageway – South East ), Dublin Road (R921 ), Dublin Road (R338 ), College Road, Bothar Pairc an Aonaigh, and stop at the Galway Coach Station.
The return route will go through Bothar Pairc an Aonaigh Stop (Galway Coach Station ), Lough Atalia Road, Ffrench Roundabout, Wellpark Road, Monivea Road, Ballybane Road, Morris Roundabout, Bothar na dTreabh, Lynch Roundabout, Monivea Road, Parkmore Road, and Galway Racecourse, Ballybrit.
Iarnród Éireann has agreed to cut its regular daily return fares from Athenry to Galway. Special day return fares of €6 for adults and €4 for children under 16 will apply for the period of the promotion. Iarnród Éireann has plans in place to increase its carparking capacity in Athenry in order to meet increased demand for this service in the run-up to Christmas.
Bus Éireann is offering a so called Super Single fare from Gort to Galway at €5 and €10 return, which is normally €14 return offering a total saving of €4 on a return journey from Gort. In terms of bus services, the council wishes to highlight that it will be working with all bus operators and relevant stakeholders throughout 2009 in an effort to accelerate the provision of reliable and customer focused bus services in Galway.
City Hall is also encouraging Galwegians to support An Taisce’s Green-Schools Travel programme by walking, cycling, car-pooling, or using public transport on the school run.
The Christmas Park and Ride campaign is an integrated approach of the Galway City Council, the Department of Transport, Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann, and An Taisce.
