Plans to give Ceannt Station a minor facelift is to cause problems for taxi drivers and users of the transport hub.
A presentation from the head of Galway Transportation Unit, Joe Tansey, outlined plans from Iarnród Éireann to eradicate traffic issues around the bus and train terminal. Labour councillor Billy Cameron has described the current situation at the station as being “worse than Nairobi or Cairo on a bad day with buses and taxis fighting for space”.
A major part of the plan will prevent taxis from picking up and dropping off at the station, with the removal of the current taxi rank.
The rank is to be relocated 100m up the road at the Fairgreen, and will be shared with the adjacent private coach station.
The new rank will hold space for 12 taxis whereas the current rank provides space for five, not including room for taxis to queue.
The transport honeypot is not just an issue for taxi drivers. Councillors were angered by the stress it will put on disabled travellers, and forcing visitors to the city to endure the elements to get to the new rank.
Mr Tansey compared the new walking distances from the platform at Ceannt Station to those at Heuston Station, to which Independent councillor Donal Lyons responded: “I don’t think the people of Galway are happy with the way they are treated in Dublin.”
Taxi driver and Fine Gael councillor Frank Fahy stressed there was an established right of way that would be extinguished by the new plans.
Mr Tansey informed councillors that the taxi rank had to be located outside as there were issues relating to the ownership of lands at Ceannt Station.
Councillors were also informed that this was phase one of the development which will also see wider footpaths and new bus bays. Phase two will see a new double height glazed concourse and extended waiting area, and phase three seeks to extend passenger facilities at the station.
On the developments, Labour councillor Tom Costello said: “It’s a very limited scale of development for a transport hub, I’ve never seen a presentation in 20 years that is so skimpy in detail.”
