The bus to nowhere...

by Peter Harper

Spare a thought for the unfortunate souls, many of whom are students, who depend on

public transport as their sole means of traversing the City of the Tribes. Poor

frequency, limited routes and vehicles which pale in comparison to even Ford’s

Model T, combine to inflict a unique commuting experience.

Not only are the timetables as changeable as the Galwegian weather, so too are the

bus routes making each journey a mystery tour. In exasperation, after consulting a

timetable seemingly positioned at the bus stop for decorative purposes only, you

jump on any number that comes along in the hope that it’s going your way – or even

within a reasonable walking distance of your way!

The entire experience is symptomatic of the lack of any passable, let alone

efficient public transport system in the West, leading to traffic-choked, polluted

streets in urban centres such as Galway.

For many students, however, the car is not a viable method of transport. Attending

college is an expensive business, all jokes regarding excessive socialising aside!

Ownership of a car brings with it many hidden expenses, not least of which is

insurance – very often for a young student more expensive than the cost of the

vehicle.

Of particular interest to solving the malaise are the tentative developments to

build the GLUAS or to be more specific Galway’s version of the LUAS, Dublin’s light

rail system which despite many years of construction has been very well received.

The statistics for GLUAS are impressive – trams carrying 200 passengers each on a

network of 64 stops across the city at a frequency of one tram every six minutes.

Galway is Ireland’s fastest growing city and Galwegians must fight hard to ensure

that the development of an effective public transport system for the city is not one

of the causalities of the recession cut-backs.

In contrast, at present the experience of public transport here is particularly

traumatic to those who have wandered west from the capital to live, work or study.

Oh, come back Dublin Bus – all is forgiven! The sight of those yellow and blue

double deckers on a return visit warms the heart. It’s true what they say: you don’t

know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone!