Our mission is to decarbonise our transport system, invest in reliable public transport and active travel, radically expand the uptake of cycling, and provide sustainable, fossil fuel free travel options to all communities.

Our Vision for Transport

The following commitments are central to the Labour Party’s vision for transport in Ireland:

• Require the NTA and TII to advance LUAS designs for all 5 Irish cities with a view to completion of at least 15 new lines by 2040.
• Commence a programme of investment in new rail infrastructure to implement the National Rail Strategy.
• Prioritise active travel in all urban areas over private vehicle use with safe segregated cycleways and properly maintained footpaths and public lighting.
• Continue to progressively reduce the cost of public transport, with the introduction of a six-month trial €9 climate ticket, provide free travel for children and young people under 26 over the next five years, and focus on improving the reliability of timetabled services. The additional funding to cover the cost of the climate ticket will come from the national exchequer not existing public transport or active travel budgets.
• Investment in additional new road infrastructure shall be prioritised for road safety reasons rather than to increase capacity, with a ratio of up to 5:1 of expenditure in favour of public transport over roads in the next NDP period.
• Bypasses shall be approved subject to matching investments by local authorities to enhance the public realm and prioritise active travel in the bypassed towns and villages.
• Ensure the replacement agency for the Road Safety Authority has the remit, governance, and structure so that road safety promotional campaigns focus on driver behaviour, the needs of vulnerable road users and review the operation of the Road Traffic Acts to ensure that the Garda Síochána and the courts have sufficient legal powers to enforce and penalise dangerous driving behaviours.

Cycling

The Labour Party supports strong policy measures and investment to promote cycling and e-cycling that will dramatically increase the use of bicycles and rebuild a cycling culture in Ireland. Labour will:

• Provide for an independent review of the quality and design of cycling infrastructure delivered over the last five years to identify how to deliver new infrastructure as quickly as possible, best practice designs, and examples of poor delivery.
• Introduce a Cyclist bill of rights and legislate for the application of the Cycle Design Manual and for all bikes to be sold with permanently installed dynamo operated lights.
• Ensure the NTA Cycle Design Manual is regularly updated and adhered to by placing it on a statutory footing.
• Provide for contra-flow cycling on one-way streets and allow cyclists turn left when traffic lights are red with right of way for pedestrians walking on a green man.
• Remove any remaining charges for carrying bicycles on any licensed bus or train service.
• Ensure An Garda Síochána prioritise road traffic enforcement to protect cyclists and pedestrians, introduce a video upload portal for reporting dangerous driving, and update cyclist safety on all classes of the driving test.
• Introduce a national bike register, develop new anti-theft measures and a dedicated Garda unit to deter theft.