The Government's transport strategy is overdependent on building large roads and using private finance for public transport, the Green Party claimed yesterday.
Calling for a complete review of transport policy, the party said that the consequence of current measures would be a transport policy which was "skewed towards short-term profit rather than long-term strategy".
As the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, officially opened the new Dundrum bypass in his Dublin South constituency, his constituency colleague, the Green Party spokesman on transport, Mr Eamon Ryan TD, said that large urban roads would simply further reduce the speed of traffic, as they attracted more vehicles.
"Minister Brennan's transport plans may well bring average driving speeds in the capital down below walking speed due to a lack of investment in a first-class public transport alternative," he claimed.
The only sustainable method of transport for commuters was public transport. However, he said reports of the imminent appointment of a merchant banker as head of the Rail Procurement Agency indicated that the Government saw finance as the only issue in the development of new railways.
While he said he had confidence in the integrity and ability of the proposed new agency head, who has not been officially named, "the provision of light-rail and metro systems is a highly-technical field, and as well as the financial angles I would like to see some emphasis on the engineering side".
He also said a market-driven approach to the development of new rail lines would serve existing populations only.
However, speaking when he officially opened the bypass yesterday, Mr Brennan said it had already removed a considerable amount of heavy through traffic and congestion from Dundrum village and that it would facilitate its regeneration.
