Galway commuters are losing the equivalent of three days per year sitting on gridlocked roads.

That was the assessment of experts at the University of Galway who have called for a carefully planned and coherent transport strategy to end the misery on Galway’s roads.

They have argued that with or without the proposed City Ring Road, sustainable solutions are needed in the short-term to tackle the chaos on the city’s transport network.

At an expert panel discussion organised by the university, in conjunction with Engineers Ireland West Region, a warning was issued that if Galway failed to get to grips with its transport woes, it risked losing its vibrancy and its capacity for growth.

Speaking to the Connacht Tribune, Director of Sustainability at University of Galway, Dr Richard Manton, said the news last weekend that the BusConnects scheme – providing a bus corridor through the city centre – had been green-lit by An Bord Pleanála was welcome news.

“We need something transformative,” said Dr Manton, an expert in transport engineering and sustainability.

“It’s not simply a case of wanting an outer bypass or not wanting it. Galway’s transport needs are so immediate, and we need big thinking to address them.”

It was his belief that the ring road had the capacity to increase the number of cars on the road, “providing more space to be filled by more cars”, but even if it was approved by An Bord Pleanála, it would be years before the project could be completed.

“Even if the N6 Galway City Ring Road does get planning, you’re still talking a long timeframe – and more short-term solutions are needed,” he continued.

That involved improved cycling and pedestrian facilities and significantly better public transport links – and these were very much part of what the university was seeking for Galway, said Dr Manton.

Caption: Traffic jams on the east side of the city.

Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.