Transport

One of the starkest differences between Ireland and other European countries is our poor public transport system. Under successive Irish Governments, one abandoned or delayed public transport plan has followed another. Transport policy has focused on moving cars, not moving people.

Our Transport policy is informed by the core tradition of social democracy; ensuring that our national resources and collective efforts are marshalled to the benefit of society as a whole rather than the individual.

Our transport system plays a vital role in the economy as a driver and facilitator of trade, commerce and tourism, and we will ensure that policies will safeguard the cost-effective, efficient and competitive movement of goods and people to protect our position as an open economy which is heavily reliant on international trade and tourism.

Expansion of our transport infrastructure should be planned and balanced in line with our goals of becoming a climate neutral economy by 2050. Transport policy will play a crucial role in the successful delivery of a better more sustainable future for all our citizens.

Our Transport Priorities

• Introduce a €1 fare, valid at off-peak times, to incentivise public transport use and help deal with capacity constraints
• Create a new National Transport Policing Unit
• Ringfence a minimum of 15 per cent of the total transport capital budget for the development of walking and cycling infrastructure all over Ireland
• Treat public transport as a public good, opposing the increased privatisation of services
• Double funding to Local Link to increase availability
• Begin moving towards a proper 24-hour public transport system

Find Out More

You can read more about our policies and plans in our Transport policy document, linked below.