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Manifesto Checking: PD’s Public Transport Measures
Read more about: Manifesto Check, Progressive Democrats, Transport
Here’s the PDs’ 2002 Manifesto. I know what you are thinking: this should be funny. And you would be right; it does have some humorous moments.
Take their timetable for opening the metro lines:
- Sandyford-City Centre-Dublin Airport: 2007
- City Centre-Blanchardstown: 2007
- Sandyford-Shanganagh extension: 2008
- Dublin Airport-Swords extension: 2008
This has, of course, not been done.
Here’s more:
Transport Regulatory Commission: We will entrust responsibility for the regulation of all aspects of transport activity to a single regulatory commission.
Well, we have a commission for taxi regulation and one for aviation but none for all aspects, so this has not been done.
Transport Safety Authority: A single authority will be set up which will have responsibility for safety across all the different transport modes.
Again, we do not have this; we have separate bodies like the Road Safety Authority, so not done.
We will restructure CIE as a number of entirely separate operating companies with clearly defined roles.
Not done.
By transforming public transport we can:
- translate increased prosperity into improved quality of life by cutting congestion and reducing commuting times;
- protect the environment and meet our Kyoto targets by shifting people from cars to more environmentally friendly modes of transport;
- maintain Ireland’s competitive position as an attractive location for industrial and commercial investment; and
- promote social equity by ensuring that mobility is not restricted to those who own cars.
None of this is done.
And we will ensure that it is effectively eliminated by 2007.We will use the new administrative arrangements to achieve progress on a number of fronts:
- Integration: The maximum degree of integration will be achieved between the different modes of transport and integrated ticketing will be introduced to enable passengers to make easy transfers.
- Coordination: Investment plans will be coordinated to that, for example, new rail developments provide park-and-ride and bus interchange facilities from day one.
- Cooperation: Cooperation will be promoted between different service providers in order to create for the first time in this country a unified public transport system.
- Competition: The new regulatory system will be used to facilitate the introduction of real competition in the public transport market.
None of this is done either.
- Establish Iarnrod Eireann as an independent state company in its own right with full management autonomy.
- Give the company a clear mandate to run a fast, modern and reliable rail system capable of commanding the confidence of the travelling public.
- Set performance standards for the company with regard to punctuality, reliability and customer service.
- Provide the financial resources necessary to transform the Irish rail system, with a particular concentration on improvements that can be delivered within a 30-month timeframe.
Not done.
- Ensuring that there is an adequate fleet of high-quality carriages available on every route to cope safely and comfortably with passenger demand.
Anyone taking an InterCity will know that is not done.
- Offering improved frequencies and shorter journey times on all inter-city routes.
- Refurbishing and modernising stations on the network.
Done in a very small way.
We will re-introduce passenger rail services on the following lines:
- Limerick-Shannon-Ennis-Galway
- Galway-Claremorris-Sligo
- Limerick-Waterford
Save the Limerick-Waterford—not a 100% bulletproof service—not done.
We will ensure fast and frequent commuter services on the following routes into Dublin:
- Dundalk-Drogheda-Connolly
- Arklow-Wicklow-Connolly
- Carlow-Kildare-Heuston
- Tullamore-Portlaoise-Kildare-Heuston
- Mullingar-Maynooth-Connolly
- Dublin-Dunboyne-Navan
I don’t live in Dublin so can’t really say but I doubt this has been done to any great effect.
The Progressive Democrats will extend the [LUAS] network so that three additional sections are operational by 2006. Using public-private partnerships where appropriate we will extend:
- Line A from Red Cow to Citywest and Saggart;
- Line A from Connolly to Docklands; and
- Line B from Sandyford to Cherrywood (compatible with conversion of Line B to metro status).
Guess what: not done either.
We will establish Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann as independent companies, separate from CIE, with full geographical freedom to compete against each other and against independent operators, and we will provide for substantial employee share ownership in both companies.
Not done.
Our aim is to achieve 100% liberalisation in five years.
Failed.
Instead we will introduce franchising for city and regional networks. This will involve competitive tendering for route networks for fixed-term contracts. Successful bidders will be required to meet standards of frequency, reliability and quality set by the regulator.
Network franchising will bring in new operators and new investment while preventing cherry-picking and the abandonment of non-profitable routes. The objective will be to achieve maximum value-for-money in return for state subsidy and an improved and expanded range of services for passengers. Employees of the state bus companies will be protected by EU legislation on the transfer of undertakings.
Actually a good idea, but not done.
The Progressive Democrats will embark on a major initiative to develop community bus services.
Not done.
The Progressive Democrats will ensure that access to public transport is one of the criteria taken into consideration by the planning process.
Ah, I don’t think that has been done.
The Progressive Democrats will establish a new Traffic Police as a separate division within An Garda Siochana. This division will be a special, designated unit within the force with its own officers and its own budget.
Actually done, but still not enough to merit anything but a zero on public transport.
Jesus that was far too easy, they havent even pretended on many of those issues
Well quite a few of those actually have been done, but it’s ridiculous to expect a party with 8 TDs to be able to deliver all of its manifesto commitments simply because it happens to be in the governing coalition. The PDs have to prioritise the most important areas, like taxation, health and law and order, and work to do as much good in government as possible with the limited resources available to them.
The reason the PDs haven’t been able to meet every single one of its manifesto commitments — like every other political party in history, might I add — is because too few people voted for them last time. If you’re concerned with more of the 2007 manifesto being delivered in the next government, I suggest you vote for them!
really Sam would you mind pointing out?
I am checking the manifestos in each catagory if indeed you want to look at the other posts in the series you will see they got 8/10 for the budget.
As for the voting. They are not in my constituency.
Thanks for bringing the series to my attention Simon, I wasn’t aware of that. However, I still think it’s unfair to grade the PDs’ for transport policy when they really do have to limit themselves to a few key areas. Maybe it would be more evenhanded just to focus on the main PD issues like justice, health and economic policy?
Not at all Sam. They did not restrict themselves to these areas in the manifestos so why should I?
Sam, are you under the impression that the PDs only have policies and responsibility for their own departments?
To expect the PDs to be able to enact all of their manifesto commitments with 8 TDs is self-evidentially ridiculous. The fact that they are in government does not mean they have the same ability to enact policy as the other government party, and to suggest otherwise is spurious. Naturally their record must be judged somehow but my contention is that only the areas in which the PDs have a significant amount of power and influence for such a measurement to have any meaning or importance.
Sam the other day Colm O Gorman released a statement about how the PD’s delivered on education. They are not in control of the Education department. Yet they claim that theey have achieved something in education. http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/press_room/2209/
They are claiming stuff in other departments. So why should I not measure them on stuff that they have not been in charge of. So why should I not. Also remember they are not in control of finance. Yet you above said I should include the economy.
I agree that the Donagh O’Malley scholarships are a great thing to have, but the PDs aren’t in control of the education department and cannot be expected to have as much of an influence over education policy as they might over, say, health.
The economy is, of course, a primary issue for the PDs and one on which they campaign heavily, so it’s not unfair to judge their record on that — I don’t believe the same could be said for transport policy. That’s not to say that the PDs have no influence over transport policy but, as I say, they’re certainly not on the same level.
I’m not claiming that the PDs can’t enact any of their non-departmental manifesto in their current position, just that they can’t enact all of it, and that it’s unreasonable to expect them to.
So, will the PDs be telling us in advance of the election which departments they will be runing or at least which will they priortise getting so we can know which parts of their manifesto to disregard completely? And are you concdeding that the issues above were not a priority for the PDs in the last election?