If you were minister for transport.

bear1

Basic car insurance included in all paye taken.
Maximum motor tax capped at 700e.
Electric cars motor tax free.
All motor tax collected goes only to infrastructure involving motors.
Speed limits after 8pm until 7am increased to 150kph on motorways.
Electrify train lines.
Abandoned airports to become drag strips (galway)
Hogging overtaking Lane 4 points and 200e fine.
Funding secured before teasing people of new motorways (m20)

What else would you do as the minister for transport?

Agent Smith

bear1 wrote: »

What else would you do as the minister for transport?

Actually Build the train line to the airport instead of talking about it for the last 30 years.

Introduce Driving as a Leaving cert subject.

bazz26

Get a different job.

s14driftking

Make cyclists open to the same laws as motorists. I.e. Run a red light 3 points. No licence 500 euro fine single breast cycling.
Increase speed for hgvs on motorways to 70mph. Unionist all hgv drivers and increase pay to 15 per hr from time of entering the cab.
10euro toll payable daily on all foreign registered vechuicles.
Increase minimum speed on motorways to 100kph any under speed result in same fine and points as speeding.
Abolish bus eireann express way and make them tender for pso routes as soon as possible.

mullyboyee

bear1 wrote: »

Basic car insurance included in all paye taken.
Maximum motor tax capped at 700e.
Electric cars motor tax free.
All motor tax collected goes only to infrastructure involving motors.
Speed limits after 8pm until 7am increased to 150kph on motorways.
Electrify train lines.
Abandoned airports to become drag strips (galway)
Hogging overtaking Lane 4 points and 200e fine.
Funding secured before teasing people of new motorways (m20)

What else would you do as the minister for transport?

Car insurance is the minister for finance. Fuel emissions tax is minister for housing.

So neither can be dealt with by the minister for transport.

Del2005

s14driftking wrote: »

.
Abolish bus eireann express way and make them tender for pso routes as soon as possible.

That never ran on PSO routes, normal Bus Eireann run this and makes a profit. It's the Expressway fighting against the private companies on the inter city routes which has bankrupted the company,

swarlb

s14driftking wrote: »

Make cyclists open to the same laws as motorists. I.e. Run a red light 3 points. No licence 500 euro fine single breast cycling.
Increase speed for hgvs on motorways to 70mph. Unionist all hgv drivers and increase pay to 15 per hr from time of entering the cab.
10euro toll payable daily on all foreign registered vechuicles.
Increase minimum speed on motorways to 100kph any under speed result in same fine and points as speeding.
Abolish bus eireann express way and make them tender for pso routes as soon as possible.

At least one of the above would pay the national debt in about a month ! Average speed on the M7 between Junction 7 and Junction 11 EVERYDAY at rush hour is about 5kph for the thousands of cars that use it. So between that and the M50, all our financial problems will be solved.

ozmo

bear1 wrote: »

What else would you do as the minister for transport?

Replace more traffic light junctions with roundabouts - everywhere - not take them away - just make sure everyone knows how to use them properly.

Make sure utility companies put roads back like they found it when they have to dig it up.

mullyboyee

mullyboyee wrote: »

Car insurance is the minister for finance. Fuel emissions tax is minister for housing.

So neither can be dealt with by the minister for transport.

Well there goes my answer.

Still though, it would be nice to see any minister do something to even out the tax bands.

I'm in the market for a second hand car at the moment. It's alarming to see the amount of still-good pre-08 cars which are getting overlooked because of their engine size and the ridiculous tax rate which comes with them.

I imagine that between that tax, and insurance companies loading the premiums for 10+ year old cars, there are a lot of decent cars being scrapped or put off the road because of the bureaucratic cost of running them. I would like to see someone in government tackle this.

As for things the MoT could actually tend to, off the top of my head:

- An increased speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways from 8pm to 4am.

- Renaming of the entrance/exit ramps on motorways to accelerating/decelerating ramps and an ad campaign for it. It might help adjust the frame of mind of those dangerous drivers who toddle down the ramp at 60km/h to join traffic on a motorway doing 120km/h.

- Whatever it takes to get that M20 built, do that sh*t. I say that as someone not from/living in the region.

That's it for now, I'll think of more on my second day in office.

bear1

I forgot one, put the same traffic light sequence as used in the UK.

ml100

bear1 wrote: »

I forgot one, put the same traffic light sequence as used in the UK.

Put in 'smart' traffic lights like in Sweden etc, after a certain time at night all roads to a junction have a red light, first car to the junction gets the green light, sensors pick up the cars approaching the junction and change the light green before the car has to slow down.

CiniO

bear1 wrote: »

Basic car insurance included in all paye taken.

Basic car insurance IMO should be paid separately, but not to private companies but to government owned insurer purely created for third party insurance.
It should be associated with car (not the driver) and cover anyone to drive, and be obligatory at all times.
That way there'd be no problem with uninsured people on the road.

Maximum motor tax capped at 700e.

I'd be for limiting motortax to 0.
There shouldn't be such thing as motortax.
It's a prehistoric tax on car introduced when cars were luxury, not necessity like now.

Speed limits after 8pm until 7am increased to 150kph on motorways.

I like that

Electrify train lines.

Would that be cost effective, considering how little train traffic we have in Ireland?

Abandoned airports to become drag strips (galway)

Good

Hogging overtaking Lane 4 points and 200e fine.

1 point and ?50 is enough if it's enforced.

CiniO

s14driftking wrote: »

Make cyclists open to the same laws as motorists.

Definitely a good idea. Should be done long time ago.

Increase speed for hgvs on motorways to 70mph.

What for?
Fuel consumption would sky rocket, and travel time wouldn't change much.
All EU is limited to 90km/h for trucks, so what's the point in changing that.

10euro toll payable daily on all foreign registered vechuicles.

Total nonsense.
Why? and How?

Increase minimum speed on motorways to 100kph any under speed result in same fine and points as speeding.

Another nonsense.
Plenty of vehicles not capable of doing such speeds, especially up hill.

stereo_steve

Why is everyone so fixated on cars? Public transportation is what is most important. As mentioned above let's get a train to the airport. Then let's focus on more lightrail and underground.

Slightly related, we need to start building up. More densely populated areas make it easier to get good services and infrastructure to the people.

Sue Pa Key Pa

CiniO wrote: »

Basic car insurance IMO should be paid separately, but not to private companies but to government owned insurer purely created for third party insurance..

You would find that the majority of insurance companies would strongly support that, leaving them free to compete for the own damage fire & theft market and new entrants would come in to the market, making it even better

CJhaughey

Sue Pa Key Pa wrote: »

You would find that the majority of insurance companies would strongly support that, leaving them free to compete for the own damage fire & theft market and new entrants would come in to the market, making it even better

That would be in effect the sane system as New Zealand uses, except that the levy is directly taken for not just motor but also personal injuries in the course of employment.
The gravy train parasites would be put out of business and for that reason will never be adopted here.

shietpilot

The whole idea of scrapping motor tax and adding it onto fuel would be the biggest one for me. Not only would it allow the government to take in just as much revenue through tax on fuel, but it would also mean that a lot of costs can be cut down not having to have staff printing and sending out motor tax discs.

wylo

Give cycle lanes priority in every infrastructural investment until the country is like another Amsterdam (only without the weed and hookers )

CiniO

wylo wrote: »

Give cycle lanes priority in every infrastructural investment until the country is like another Amsterdam (only without the weed and hookers )

You might built cycle lanes absolutely everywhere, but most people still won't cycle due to sh1te weather.
BTW - what's wrong with weed and hookers that you don't want them?

cc

CiniO wrote: »

You might built cycle lanes absolutely everywhere, but most people still won't cycle due to sh1te weather.
BTW - what's wrong with weed and hookers that you don't want them?

Amsterdam can be fairly nippy

bear1

stereo_steve wrote: »

Why is everyone so fixated on cars? Public transportation is what is most important. As mentioned above let's get a train to the airport. Then let's focus on more lightrail and underground.

Slightly related, we need to start building up. More densely populated areas make it easier to get good services and infrastructure to the people.

It's ridiculous how the Government are so backward with this.
Cork has a new tower being proposed which would be the tallest on the island, just watch it be shot down when it comes to planning permission and reduced to 5 storeys so that it doesn't ruin the view :rolleyes:
In Dublin the tallest building will be 73m... and that hasn't even started yet.

wylo

CiniO wrote: »

You might built cycle lanes absolutely everywhere, but most people still won't cycle due to sh1te weather.
BTW - what's wrong with weed and hookers that you don't want them?

Nope happy with weed and hookers too! Unfortunately the minister for transport doesn't allow me control that!

The weather argument is a common one but just an assumption.

Our weather ain't as bad as we like to think it is. Most cyclists will tell you it's fine. And Amsterdam shares our weather for a good number of months in the year.

Alkers

Give cyclists and pedestrians right of way over vehicles in all built up areas.
Congestion charge at the canal cordon.
Restructure Dublin bus ticketing to a flat rate, payable only by leap card, passengers alight at the front door and get off at the back.
Overhaul of Dublin bus routes and timetables.
Absolute priority to mass-transit systems in Dublin, private car journeys should be used for long distance travel primarily,
Acceptance of motorcycles as a viable, sustainable transportation method with incentives to increase modal share,
Multiple tolling gantires on the m50 so that the toll varies by the distance travelled, tolls reduce with vehicle occupancy and off-peak times,
Anpr cameras at all the m50 tolling points to automatically detect vehicles without tax or insurance.
Allowing private transport operators run many more routes,
Vehicles merging onto motorways to be given priority over mainline traffic,
Motorcycles permitted to use bus lanes and motorway hard shoulder during peak hours,
Abolishment of motor tax, loaded onto fuel prices instead,
Complete overhaul of Nta car sharing website to an area based as opposed to an employer based setup,
Establishment of transport police for all public transport including ticketing,
Dedicated bike cops full time on m50 to enforce tailgating and lane discipline,

CiniO

wylo wrote: »

The weather argument is a common one but just an assumption.

Our weather ain't as bad as we like to think it is. Most cyclists will tell you it's fine. And Amsterdam shares our weather for a good number of months in the year.

Unfortunately it is pretty bad.
I love cycling and mountain biking, but struggle to go most of the time because of the weather - too cold, too windy, too rainy.

Can't comment how it compares with Amsterdam weather, as I've never been to Amsterdam.

tipperary

shietpilot wrote:

The whole idea of scrapping motor tax and adding it onto fuel would be the biggest one for me. Not only would it allow the government to take in just as much revenue through tax on fuel, but it would also mean that a lot of costs can be cut down not having to have staff printing and sending out motor tax discs.

Agree this would make a lot of sense, environmentally too it would fit well with the polluter pays principle, and could be used to fund national road projects. Only issue would be how to charge electric cars.

shietpilot

tipperary wrote: »

Agree this would make a lot of sense, environmentally too it would fit well with the polluter pays principle, and could be used to fund national road projects. Only issue would be how to charge electric cars.

Aren't electric cars already tax free?

bazz26

stereo_steve wrote: »

Why is everyone so fixated on cars? Public transportation is what is most important. As mentioned above let's get a train to the airport. Then let's focus on more lightrail and underground.

Slightly related, we need to start building up. More densely populated areas make it easier to get good services and infrastructure to the people.

Well the motorist is one of the most heavily taxed groups in this country and has been a cash cow of revenue for consecutive governments over decades. VRT, VAT, motor tax, VAT and excise duty on fuel, levies and more VAT on insurance, etc. But how is this proper public transport infrastructure going to be paid for if the likes of motorists become less reliant on their vehicles meaning they don't pay as much running them? Increase general direct taxation? People won't want that either.

Harry Palmr

What does the Minister for Transport actual have power over? Not much it seems.

Sell off Bus Errors intercity service

End static money generators at village/town/city limit speed signs.
Create graduated speed zones - that some roads go from 100 to 50 in one go is crazy!

Really a Minister for Finance issue but incorporate basic third party injury insurance into car tax or fuel or amalgamate all three. Pay as you go with rebate to a 50% max limit for goods vehicles.

s14driftking

Del2005 wrote: »

That never ran on PSO routes, normal Bus Eireann run this and makes a profit. It's the Expressway fighting against the private companies on the inter city routes which has bankrupted the company,

When I mean tender I mean let private operators have the chance to run the pso routes. I.e. If Kavanaghs can run a route with less pso funding than bus eiteann and provide the same service or better give it to Kavanaghs or air coach etc.

s14driftking

swarlb wrote: »

At least one of the above would pay the national debt in about a month ! Average speed on the M7 between Junction 7 and Junction 11 EVERYDAY at rush hour is about 5kph for the thousands of cars that use it. So between that and the M50, all our financial problems will be solved.

Outside of rush hr the limits should be increased. And I know what the traffic is like on the m7 from the m9 interchange going to be worst sooner with talks of upgrade works.

quadrifoglio verde

Change the penalty point structure for speeding.
No penalty points if less than 10km/h or under the speed limit. 10-20 km/h is 2, 20-40 is 4, 40-60 is 6 and so on.

Mandatory driver theory tests every 10 years. If you fail, you have to resit the test. If you pass, you don't. Everyone driving should know the rules of the road and if you can't keep up with the rules, then I dread to think what your driving is like. Requirement for banned drivers to resist the driving test. If you were competent, you wouldn't have been banned.

Driving test to be split into 3 sections. Day time driving, motorway driving and night time driving. You can't drive alone after sunset or before sunrise if you haven't demonstrated competence. You can't use a motorway if you can't demonstrate competence.

Hi visibility clothing, as well as lights to be used by pedestrians and cyclists after sunset and before sunrise. As a cyclist I can see where I'm cycling at night. It wasn't until that I started driving that I realised that the 1.5 to 2 tonne weapon of destruction couldn't see me until the last seconds if I wasn't visible.

Restructuring of revenue expenditure
Any income (except vat) raised from motor vehicles and sale of fuel to be ringfenced for expenditure on transport infrastructure.
This ranges from roads, to cycle lanes, to street lighting and footpaths, as well as public transport. No longer shall it go into a central pot, to be spent on water, social housing and he who screams loudest. Our transport infrastructure, except for some motorways is woefully underfunded and lacking.

Adapt the European version of tolling. You pay based on how far you travel. So if you travel from bray to Lucan you pay more than someone travelling from Lucan to blanchardstown.
Likewise, you pay more if you travel from naas to portlaoise, than portlaoise to borris.

In areas not expected to have a metro or a tram on the next 15 years, invest in rapid service bus routes with park and ride facilities. Target time of 10-15 minutes on each route from the m50 to o Connell bridge. Rapid bus terminates at park in ride. Commuters can then hop into their car to bring them home, or to buses which serves the towns and communities around the area.
So instead of getting the 67 from celbridge to town, you'd get the 67 to liffey valley where you get off and hop on the rapid bus. The rapid bus takes 15 minutes from there to o Connell st (this is possible with no traffic). Journey time is reduced from 60 minutes from celbridge to town to 30 minutes. Then and only then can a congestion charge be brought in. Those who are car pooling would be exempt, provided they carried more than one passenger and had relevant documents in place.
Congestion charge applies when traffic is at its peak. So going into Dublin in the am and leaving Dublin in the pm.

wylo

wylo wrote: »

Give cycle lanes priority in every infrastructural investment until the country is like another Amsterdam (only without the weed and hookers )

You were doing well up to this point!

Mandatory refresher driving test every 10 years with day and night tests is my input. Also, 30% of the test should be done on a motorway.

Edit: Somehow missed qv's post. He/She explains it better

Fiskar

If

1. Train to Navan
2. Luas to Airport(s)
3. review train and under ground transport requirements country wide
4. carry out extensive review of car use, fuel and milage, then ..........

5. Ban the sale of diesel passenger cars from 2020
6. Ban diesel passenger car in city centres 2018
7. One car per house
8. raise diesel fuel duty
9. Roll out more FCP charge points
10. ban school runs_____

Fiskar

Fiskar wrote: »

If

1. Train to Navan
2. Luas to Airport(s)
3. review train and under ground transport requirements country wide
4. carry out extensive review of car use, fuel and milage, then ..........

5. Ban the sale of diesel passenger cars from 2020
6. Ban diesel passenger car in city centres 2018
7. One car per house
8. raise diesel fuel duty
9. Roll out more FCP charge points
10. ban school runs_____

You'll have to elaborate on that

the_pen_turner

bring in drivers ed courses like they have in the usa . if you do minor things wrong you can do the course and not get points, or maybe half points.

this will help improve driver knollage and hopefully fix all the stupid roundabout and lane disipline issues we have.

the_pen_turner

i would make all to toll systems state owned and run,
then work out how much is still to be paid for the road to be paid for . then put up a big sign at the toll to say how much, then every month reduce the total by the months toll takings.
when it reaches 0 then remove the toll .
upgrade the next section and put the toll there. same sign and pay off the cost and then onto the next section.
people wouldnt mind paying the toll if you couls see it improving the road instead of lining the pockets of the people running it

bear1

Fiskar wrote: »

If

1. Train to Navan
2. Luas to Airport(s)
3. review train and under ground transport requirements country wide
4. carry out extensive review of car use, fuel and milage, then ..........

5. Ban the sale of diesel passenger cars from 2020
6. Ban diesel passenger car in city centres 2018
7. One car per house
8. raise diesel fuel duty
9. Roll out more FCP charge points
10. ban school runs_____

One car per house. Not so bad if you live in dublin but what about someone who lives rurally?

the_pen_turner

i would create some kind of system that woud charge you for the tolldiferently based on how close you lived.
so if you lived in dublin near the m50 then you should pay less than you would at portlaioise.

its very unfair on people living really close to tolls. it would cost a fortune to use it everyday.
its alright for me to use the motorway everyday for localish travel, the nearest toll is 40 min away in each way.

surely getting people onto the motorway is better than driving around the toll everyday

Fiskar

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

You'll have to elaborate on that

No thanks Shane, work it out yourself.

tcawley29

Fiskar wrote: »

No thanks Shane, work it out yourself.

You actually will have to elaborate because I cant see how this will work either.

We have 3 vehicles in my house.

Three of us work in different towns.

None of the other two work places are on route to our own work place.

I quite often travel for work and stay in the town I am working in.

We dont have any public transport passing our door and taxis are borderline useless too.

You'd do well to get one home after a night out.

Nearest town for public transport is an 11km walk.

The joys of rural ireland

Guy:Incognito

Fiskar wrote: »

If

1. Train to Navan
2. Luas to Airport(s)
3. review train and under ground transport requirements country wide
4. carry out extensive review of car use, fuel and milage, then ..........

5. Ban the sale of diesel passenger cars from 2020
6. Ban diesel passenger car in city centres 2018
7. One car per house
8. raise diesel fuel duty
9. Roll out more FCP charge points
10. ban school runs_____

Train to navan from where? Everywhere? Does naval become the central point for the whole rail network?

For Forks Sake

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

Also, 30% of the test should be done on a motorway.

How would you propose this working for someone in Donegal or Mayo for example?

whizbang

Remove all references to year from registration plates. Greatest cause of celtic tiger boom and bust..

Base Road Tax on decreasing scale of age of car.

Guy:Incognito

whizbang wrote: »

Remove all references to year from registration plates. Greatest cause of celtic tiger boom and bust..

.

Well have the same rates of new car ownership as the UK and other European countries. People like new cars.

For Forks Sake

For Forks Sake wrote: »

How would you propose this working for someone in Donegal or Mayo for example?

Do 30% of your test in the nearest area that has a motorway. Simples. I'm not fond of the way tests are carried out as it is. I travel the route I did my test on every day. Have done since I had a provisional (remember those?). Knew the route anyway so had a slight advantage. Everyone should be pulled out of their comfort zones for the test. A part of me still panics when I use a roundabout with traffic lights!

Fiskar

Fiskar wrote: »

No thanks Shane, work it out yourself.

I really hope you're referring to Shane Ross.

Zaph

Weepsie wrote: »

Ban parking on public roads. Public roads are not the place for private property.

So where do you propose someone who lives in a terraced house should park? What about two car families where one car takes up the whole driveway? Or people visiting? This is the most ridiculous suggestion on the whole thread so far.

mikeecho

If you were minister for transport.. it was with nepotism, corruption, or a massive mistake.

Silly, short sighted ideas, with no legal experience.

Stick to the bar stool.. , and don't eat the peanuts

corks finest

bear1 wrote: »

Basic car insurance included in all paye taken.
Maximum motor tax capped at 700e.
Electric cars motor tax free.
All motor tax collected goes only to infrastructure involving motors.
Speed limits after 8pm until 7am increased to 150kph on motorways.
Electrify train lines.
Abandoned airports to become drag strips (galway)
Hogging overtaking Lane 4 points and 200e fine.
Funding secured before teasing people of new motorways (m20)

What else would you do as the minister for transport?

I'd do as he/she is doing now,,,put my head in the sand, thereby not being able to see, potholes, mismanagement, congestion,inept traffic corp etc.

bear1

mikeecho wrote: »

If you were minister for transport.. it was with nepotism, corruption, or a massive mistake.

Silly, short sighted ideas, with no legal experience.

Stick to the bar stool.. , and don't eat the peanuts

Is this aimed at me?

Arcade_Tryer

Agent Smith wrote: »

Introduce Driving Cycling as a Leaving cert subject.

Agreed.

s14driftking wrote: »

Make cyclists open to the same laws as motorists. I.e. Run a red light 3 points. No licence 500 euro fine single breast cycling.
Increase speed for hgvs on motorways to 70mph. Unionist all hgv drivers and increase pay to 15 per hr from time of entering the cab.
10euro toll payable daily on all foreign registered vechuicles.
Increase minimum speed on motorways to 100kph any under speed result in same fine and points as speeding.
Abolish bus eireann express way and make them tender for pso routes as soon as possible.

Suddenly Shane Ross doesn't seem like such a bad Minister for Transport.