Every single person in Ireland should have access to a reliable, public-transport system no matter where they live, according to experts behind the Integrated Rural and Urban Transport Evolution (iROUTE) conference.
The conference, which will take place on May 5, in Kilkenny, will hear experts outline the reasons why public transport infrastructure is vital throughout all areas of rural Ireland.
Speaking ahead of it, transport expert Brendan Finn said that choosing to leave the car behind should be a right rather than a luxury, and that a coordinated mobility plan would have a transformative impact on Ireland’s rural communities.
He and his colleagues also commented that having better rural connectivity operating several times a day, would encourage those with cars to use public transport more often and cut down on harmful emissions.
“There is a world of difference between being able to travel one day a week on a rural link service and being able to travel as required. Yet developing a new rural transport policy is item 100 on the government’s top-100-priorities list,” Finn said.
Clarity on what roles the public, private and community sectors play in rural connectivity is needed, according to Finn.
“Who should lead it, who is responsible for it, and where will the money come from. Rural mobility and accessibility policy is as important as rural broadband and it needs to be made a priority now,” he said.
Current plans
The Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan (CIRMP), which aims to increase connectivity throughout rural Ireland, is due to be rolled out between 2022 and 2025. However, it is only “filling in the blanks” according to Finn.
“There is no policy to back it up. Almost every European country lacks a comprehensive policy for rural mobility. There are no clear goals, no specific targets, no clear responsibilities and insufficient funding to meet growing needs,” he said.
Funding is not the only issue, according to conference organiser, Declan Rice, who outlined that, while €57 million was announced in October 2021 for the Local Link transport service, there was no coordination across the 15 beneficiary communities.
“A fundamental lack of joined-up policy means that local authorities and communities are all doing their own thing. This policy gap cannot continue.
“Ireland has a unique opportunity to lead the way and to show how the future should look for rural shared mobility planning,” Rice concluded.