Galway’s successful Christmas Park and Ride system should be extended beyond the festive season and potentially be year-round, a Galway senator has stated.
Senator Ollie Crowe last night welcomed the Park and Ride Scheme which will begin on December 11, bringing passengers from Galway Racetrack in Ballybrit, to Galway Coach Station up until Christmas Eve, but feels it could be extended.
Buses will run every 15 minutes in both directions between the Racecourse and the Coach Station at Fairgreen. It will cost €1 each way with pensioners and children travelling free.
Senator Crowe said this has been running for many years now and has been an enormously successful venture.
“It brings far more people in the city, it boosts the local economy by providing far greater footfall for city businesses, it allows people to visit Galway City without having to deal with the traffic gridlock wrapped around the city.”
He proposed that the scheme should be expanded beyond its regular Christmas schedule.
“If the Scheme were to be operated at weekends all year around, I believe it would be a significant boost to the local economy and to businesses within the city. We need to ensure we are offering SMEs every possible support in these challenging times and this is a measure which would significant increase footfall in Galway City.”
“The NTA has plans to implement park and ride in Galway City with plans for the development of three park-and-ride locations on approach roads to Galway city – with a capacity for over 1,100 cars – expected to be lodged by the middle of next year.
“The NTA sites are to be located north of Claregalway (N83 or the old N17 ); where the M6 motorways merges into the N6; and at Oranmore Railway Station.
“This is welcome news and will be a positive development but with our planning process, then the development works, that is still a number of years away at a minimum”
“It is my view that the current approach involving Galway Racetrack and Galway Coach Station is worthy of expansion in the meantime. I would suggest a trial for it to operate on Fridays and Saturdays for two or three months between April and June as it would be a reasonable first step.
“With suitable promotion, this will provide useful data in terms of the number of users, the economic impact for Galway City and allow consideration of further enhancement following this trial” said Sen Crowe.
