Fianna Fáil Councillor Deirdre Geraghty-Smith has pledged an increase in bus and train services in Co Meath if her party gets into government.
According to Cllr Geraghty-Smith the current bus and rail system is not fit for purpose and needs radical modernisation.
The Meath Councillor explained, “Our public transport system is falling apart. Fine Gael have created a dysfunctional society where parents spend hours away from their children getting to and from work, on packed buses and trains that don’t have nearly enough capacity.
“Commuters are left with an impossible choice – to brave the bus or train to Dublin, or to spend hours in traffic congestion to and from work. And due to lack of integration between our buses and train services here in Meath, many are forced to do both. They get into traffic driving to and from bus stops or train stations, before braving rammed buses or trains into the city.
“Frustration levels among commuters are at an all-time high. There is no excuse for it. There is no reason why a commuter county like Meath cannot have an integrated, streamlined public transport service that allows workers to travel from their home town to Dublin, without feeling like they are facing into a daily battle, and spending hours travelling what is a relatively short distance.
“We need to immediately increase the frequency of buses and trains along routes from the commuter belt to Dublin, so that people are not left standing every morning and evening waiting for space to become available. This means buying additional buses, train carriages and upgrading the signalling on our rail network.
“I am also calling for a National Infrastructure Commission, to streamline the delivery of key transport projects and look at the integration of our public transport services, particularly in Meath and across the commuter belt where we have seen a huge increase in population without the corresponding public services needed to cater for this population”