People who use public transport in Galway must become a "key voice" and be allowed say in future transport developments in the city, according to the Social Democrats candidate Owen Hanley.
Mr Hanley, who is the SD candidate for Galway City East for the May 24 Local Elections, made his call following the publication of new figures from the National Transport Authority which showed a 13 per cent increase in bus use in Galway in 2018.
Mr Hanely said that while the public had been "leading the way" in terms of solutions to the city's traffic problems, through the use of existing bus networks and "creating grassroots initiatives" like School Cycle Bus, he warned that the "increasing demand in Galway for alternative transport routes is going unheard".
He said the Galway City Council needed to embrace this, and that the 2016 Galway Transport Strategy offered "a strong foundation for the future", but only if there was a "full and earnest implementation" of its recommendations.
"We need to imagine a future city where nobody is further than 10 minutes from their nearest bus stop," he said, "with reliable services, and dedicated bus lanes throughout the city. Until then Galway will continue to struggle with its disastrous traffic issues."
