The new Claregalway bus corridor will either be a solution to the traffic congestion that has plagued the area or else it will do nothing but put lives at risk.
Contrasting views have emerged on the corridor since it was opened by the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey last week.
At the opening, Minister Dempsey said: “If we are to persuade people to opt for public transport, we need to make sure that it is efficient, reliable, and attractive. Here in Claregalway there has for some time been a bottleneck for bus services.”
He said two sections of bus lane in Claregalway - a southern section 1.76km long and a northern section of 1.83km - will deliver “significant time savings for the travelling public”, estimated at 11 minutes in the case of the southern approach, and 16 minutes for the northern.
However Fine Gael Oranmore candidate Michael Eames said Claregalway needed a bypass to solve its severe traffic congestion problems, not a bus/cycle lane.
He said with 40,000 vehicle movements per day, it would be “risking lives to cycle or let a child cycle to the village schools”.
“Almost two years on there is still no sign of the bypass for Claregalway,” said Mr Eames. “This Government has broken their promise to the people of Claregalway. I will maintain the pressure for a bypass/relief road for local traffic.”
