Gardaí crack down on motorists driving in Cork bus lane
Lane Route Driving The Eddie In Picture: Plaints A Have Bus 220 File Raft Coolroe, Been O'hare Motorists In Buses Of On About The Ballincollig, There Delaying Busy
Gardaí mounted a targeted crackdown on motorists driving in Cork’s only 24-hour bus lane on Friday prompting calls for similar enforcement city-wide.
A member of the Cork City Divisional Roads Policing Unit mounted “a routine static patrol” in a key section of the 220’s city-bound bus lane at Coolroe, west of Ballincollig, during morning rush hour.
The officer and a garda vehicle remained in the area for almost an hour, keeping the bus lane clear for buses which largely ran on time.
“These patrols form part of ongoing operational duties by members of An Garda Síochána,” the spokesperson said.
It is understood this specific patrol was mounted in response to a raft of complaints about motorists driving in the bus lane, which serves a high-frequency route.
Bus Éireann has been under fire for months over the unreliable bus service in Cork city.
It has cited the lack of enforcement in bus lanes as one of the key operational challenges it faces in the city. It has also cited increased congestion, the lack of bus priority, parking in bus stops, and a driver shortage.
Last month, the company introduced a raft of service reductions across the city’s five high-frequency routes, including the 220, in a bid to provide a more reliable service.
But bus users are still complaining about late buses and ghost buses just not showing up.
Improving the service has been the focus of several meetings in City Hall in recent weeks, involving city officials and city councillors, the Garda Commissioner, Bus Éireann, the National Transport Authority, and the outgoing Transport Minister Eamon Ryan.
Last month, Mr Ryan told the that responsibility for enforcement lies with gardaí, and that Cork should be a test base for camera-based enforcement once the required legislation is approved.
Labour councillor Peter Horgan, chair of the city council’s transport and mobility strategic policy committee, welcomed Friday’s targeted bus lane operation.
“That’s welcome to see but it can’t be piecemeal,” he said.
“The Garda Commissioner must assign additional gardaí for proper enforcement of our stop stops and lanes citywide to deal with the congestion crisis.”
Party colleague John Maher, who has consistently raised concerns about motorists flouting bus lane and parking regulations on MacCurtain St, said it is fantastic to see such enforcement.
“We need to ensure that infrastructure developed to allow for more efficient public transport is not being abused,” he said.
“This enforcement must be a constant so people using the bus can get to their destination on time. This must be rolled out across our city and not be a pilot or a once-off blitz.”