Labour demands action on commuting crisis
Labour demands action on commuting crisis - The Labour Party
- Labour Private Members’ Motion in the Dáil on Wednesday 21st January
- Commuting chaos driven by Government inaction
- No legal right to flexible work for employees
- Public transport delays forcing workers into cars
Commuting in Ireland is no longer working, with workers paying the price as employers demand a return to the office while public transport and road networks remain overstretched, Labour social protection spokesperson Deputy Mark Wall said today ahead of a Labour Private Members’ Motion in the Dáil on Wednesday, 21 January, calling on the Government to introduce a real right to flexible work and urgently tackle congestion, delays and safety issues across the transport system, with Labour inviting workers, unions and commuters to join them at Leinster House at 9.30am on Wednesday to put pressure on Government to act.
Deputy Mark Wall said:
“Every morning and every evening, workers across Ireland are losing hours of their lives stuck in traffic, standing on overcrowded platforms, or waiting for buses that never arrive. This is not an inconvenience. It is a failure of Government policy that is damaging family life, harming mental health, increasing pollution and undermining workers’ rights. At the same time, more employers are forcing staff back to the office, even where work can be done remotely, in a country where employees have no legal right to flexible or remote work, only a weak right to request it.
“Dublin is now ranked among the most congested cities in the world, while gridlock has become a daily reality in cities like Galway, on roads such as the N40 and N25 in Cork, and on every major route into Dublin including the M1, M4, M7 and M11. Transport Infrastructure Ireland has admitted the M50 is at capacity, yet Government continues to dither while congestion worsens. This chaos is not inevitable. It is the direct result of political choices and a lack of urgency.
“Public transport is simply not reliable enough for people to depend on. DART expansion has stalled, new battery trains are delayed, and major projects with planning permission are sitting idle because Ministers refuse to fund them. DART+ South West has been pushed beyond 2030. LUAS Finglas has been kicked down the road to 2029. Bus services run late or not at all, bus lanes are ignored, active travel infrastructure is delivered too slowly, and investment is falling as a share of the transport budget. Workers are left with no option but to drive, adding to congestion and emissions.
“This failure has serious consequences beyond lost time. Traffic congestion worsens air pollution and poses a real public health risk. Transport is the biggest source of energy demand and one of the largest sources of emissions in Ireland. We are nowhere near on track to meet our climate targets, yet the Government keeps forcing people into cars by refusing to guarantee flexible work and failing to provide alternatives, particularly outside Dublin.
“Labour’s motion sets out a clear and practical plan. We are calling for a real legal right to flexible and remote work where it is reasonably practicable, with the public service leading by example instead of dragging workers back into offices. We are demanding a new Operation Free Flow to tackle congestion, including rapid response teams on major routes into the M50, starting with the M7, immediate progress on bus priority lanes, stronger roads policing, better driver behaviour, and real time traffic information people can trust.
“We are also calling for urgent action over the next 12 months to improve public transport, with more early morning and late night trains, increased frequency, extra carriages, fast tracked park and ride facilities, proper enforcement of bus lanes through number plate recognition, reliable timetables, accessible services, contactless payment, and a public transport system that works for people with disabilities. This must be matched by reversing delays to DART and LUAS projects, accelerating BusConnects and Local Link, and rolling out safe, segregated cycle lanes quickly across our towns and cities.
“On Wednesday, Labour will put this choice to the Government in the Dáil. They can continue to ignore workers, waste hours of people’s lives, and let congestion spiral, or they can act now to give workers flexibility, fix public transport, and take pressure off our roads. I am urging commuters, workers, unions and community groups to join us at Leinster House at 9.30am and make it clear that the status quo is not acceptable. Ireland needs a transport system and a set of workers’ rights fit for the reality people are living every day, and Labour will keep the pressure on until that change is delivered.”
Link to the full motion here.