By Avril Horan

CONCERNS have been raised over a proposed Park and Ride facility on Cappagh Road amid fears that a lack of bus lanes could undermine the project before it even begins.

Local representatives argue that without bus priority measures along the Western Distributor Road, passengers could find themselves “getting on a bus that is going nowhere”.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) is expected to apply for planning permission for the Park and Ride scheme at Cappagh Road once the necessary reports have been completed.

The project will encourage motorists travelling on the R336 and R337 — the busy routes serving Barna, Spiddal and Inverin — to leave their cars and transfer to public transport for the remainder of their journey into the city.

However, Cllr Donal Lyons (Ind) has questioned the logic of the proposal which will consist of approximately 200 car park spaces.

He believes the congestion on the Western Distributor Road, particularly during school peak times, is a major concern.

Not only that, but the expansion of the nearby retail park, which includes Dunnes Stores, B&Q and Harvey Norman, adds to the existing traffic woes.

“They’re asking motorists to come off the road, drive into Cappagh Park, and then get on a bus that will be stuck in the same traffic as everyone else,” he says.

“Without bus lanes, it simply doesn’t make sense. They will be getting on a bus that is going nowhere.”

He acknowledges that the NTA has outlined plans to upgrade the Western Distributor Road with improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

However, he warned that failing to include bus lanes now could create major problems later.

“If they don’t put bus lanes in as part of this project, everything they’re planning on the Western Distributor Road could end up being uprooted in the future,” he continues.

“It feels like box-ticking exercise — a Park and Ride without the necessary infrastructure to support it.”

Cllr Eddie Hoare (FG) said this week that the NTA needed to take a more ambitious approach.

He believes a dedicated bus lane along the final stretch of the Western Distributor Road approaching the Deane Roundabout, at the junction with Bishop O’Donnell Road, is essential.

“This would ensure bus priority for most of the route from Cappagh Road and would align with the Cross City Link,” he says.

“It could be the difference between the Park and Ride being a genuine alternative to the private car or a failed project.”

At a meeting with a representative of the National Transport Authority (NTA) at City Hall in November, Mayor Mike Cubbard (Ind) also questioned the viability of the proposal.

He stated at the briefing that it “doesn’t make sense” and asked whether journey times from Cappagh Park to Galway City Centre had been properly assessed.

The NTA representative, John Barry, agreed to issue responses to councillors on several issues, Including the proposed Park and Ride scheme.

■ Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.

Pictured: Children cycling to school on the Western Distributor Road: Councillors say park and ride buses must have a dedicated lane to avoid congestion.