DECNR does know which way is up...

bealtine

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0205/breaking35.htm

More cyclists and electric cars by 2020

LUKE CASSIDY

More than 150,000 people will cycle to work and at least 10 per cent of all vehicles will be electric by 2020, the Government said today as it outlined its plan for sustainable transport.

The action plan has been designed to tackle traffic congestion and reduce CO2 emissions.

Under the plan car usage will drop from the current rate of 65 per cent to 45 per cent of total commutes by 2020.

Launched jointly by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey and Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan, the plan aims to:

Ensure that electric vehicles account for 10 per cent of all vehicles on our roads; move over 150,000 people to work by bike; move over 500,000 potential car-based commuters to more sustainable forms of transport; cut CO2 emissions by at least 4 million tonnes; and create regional e-working centres to help cut commuting times.

The plan also aims to create an all island car sharing website, Invest in new, safer cycling and walking routes and in more park-and-ride facilities on the outskirts of major cities.

Mr Dempsey said the strategy represents “a radical transformation in transport policy”.

“While changing travel behaviour will take time these benefits, particularly the health, environmental and quality of life dividends, will accrue not only during the implementation phase of the proposals but also beyond 2020,” he said.

Mr Ryan said the plan is the beginning of a "major change".

“Our current transport patterns are unsustainable and make travel costly time consuming and stressful. It [the strategy] is the first step in changing how we move and how we live,” he added.

Ibec welcomed the plan and said it would work with Government to achieve the objectives of the policy.

crawler

There is the tiny little problem that most people who bought houses, at hyper inflated prices, in commuter belts, at least 40-50 miles from where they work, in the past 5+ years, facing negative equity, may just, and this is just a hunch, find cycling that wee bit too energetic

Mind you I genuinely fully support the principle and what it entails and wish them every good wish on delivering.

bealtine

crawler wrote: »

There is the tiny little problem that most people who bought houses, at hyper inflated prices, in commuter belts, at least 40-50 miles from where they work, in the past 5+ years, facing negative equity, may just, and this is just a hunch, find cycling that wee bit too energetic

Mind you I genuinely fully support the principle and what it entails and wish them every good wish on delivering.

All the regional e-working centres should be equipped with 3G technology as should the DECNR too, make them eat their own lunch.

bealtine

bealtine wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0205/breaking35.htm



Mr Ryan said the plan is the beginning of a "major change".

“Our current transport patterns are unsustainable and make travel costly time consuming and stressful. It [the strategy] is the first step in changing how we move and how we live,” he added.

While I'm on a roll...
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/02/05/recompute/

Sponge Bob

This is the Noel Dempsey who ORDERED and took delivery of a lexus hybrid ministers car some years back and got rid of it for a Merc because he did not want the golf clubs visible on the back seat .

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dempsey-snubs-eco-car-in-favour-of-merc-perk-133845.html

THERE was some surprise last week when the last of five eco-friendly State cars was distributed by the Government Supplies Agency and Minister Noel Dempsey was not one of the recipients.

The former Environment and current Natural Resources Minister made his determination to replace his gas-guzzling Mercedes with a more environmentally-friendly electric hybrid widely known earlier this year.

But when a luxury Lexus GS 450h was assigned to him last month he turned it down and the car was instead given to the Attorney General.
Rumours that Mr Dempsey rejected the hybrid car when he realised the boot was too small to hold his golf clubs spread like wildfire in political circles where his passion for the game is well known, but the whispers are stoutly disputed by the Minister.

smellslikeshoes

I really don't understand the concept of an "e-working center", what would be in this E-working center that you couldn't do from home with an adequate broadband connection and a computer. Wouldn't it be pointless if we were all going to have access to good quality broadband like the NBS is supposed to do? :rolleyes:

Don't get me wrong I support the aims of this plan to reduce congestion and Co2 emissions , I just don't understand the point of this "E-working hub".

Sponge Bob

an office where you can come and go and have ultra fast broadband.

One has been built in Galway ( above the new bus station) however it is unusable as the builder never finished it off properly , Ryan believes that a webpage is enough .

I believe that Cork and Limerick and Dublin are to get them , the Cork one is open some time. They go under the webworks brand.

bealtine

Sponge Bob wrote: »

an office where you can come and go and have ultra fast broadband.

One has been built in Galway ( above the new bus station) however it is unusable as the builder never finished it off properly , Ryan believes that a webpage is enough .

I believe that Cork and Limerick and Dublin are to get them , the Cork one is open some time. They go under the webworks brand.

What on earth is the point of putting a "no commute" centre in the middle of a large city? You have to commute to get to it...
Surely a "no commute" centre should be out in Bearna or Oughterard?
Better yet just supply decent broadband to people in their own homes and they won't need to commute in the first place.

Maybe I'm missing the point?


/me scratches head and wonders about the sanity of some ministers

Sponge Bob

Free Wifi hotspots in every dole office is probably what Eamon has in mind

rahtkennades

bealtine wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0205/breaking35.htm

More cyclists and electric cars by 2020

LUKE CASSIDY

......
The plan also aims to create an all island car sharing website, ....

I can't wait to see who gets the contract to build this website, and more importantly, how much it costs. Didn't the government recently can another white-elephant website?