[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]A year on from the launch of Luas Cross City, a business group is calling on the government to continue investing in public transport.
This week marked the one year anniversary of the opening of the Cross City green line, which cost upwards of €365m.
Business group Dublin Chamber said that they believe that the introduction of Cross City has led to a 25% increase in the number of journeys on the green line in 2018 so far.
They have also said the enhancement of public transport options for those living within the capital has led to a huge boost for shops and businesses in the city centre.
Dublin Chamber’s Head of Public Affairs, Graeme McQueen, said: “The number of journeys taken on the Green line this year will top 15 million. In 2018 so far, more than 14.7 million journeys have been taken on the Green line, up from 11.7m in the same period last year. Much of this increase can be attributed to the success of Luas Cross City.
“The opening of Luas Cross City has provided shops and businesses in the city with a huge boost. It’s also greatly enhanced the commuting options for thousands of workers in Dublin.
“The first year of operation has been very successful and you can see the number of people using the Luas between the city centre and Broombridge growing all the time.
“The construction of Luas Cross City involved a sizable bill and a significant amount of disruption, but now the city is reaping the rewards.”
Remarking on the success of the tramline, McQueen said that it’s ‘frustrating’ that work still hasn’t begun on any of the other major transport projects that are in the pipeline for Dublin, including BusConnects, a cycle network and Metro North.
McQueen said: “If there’s one frustration following the completion of Luas Cross City, it’s that we’re still waiting for work to start on any of the other big transport projects mooted for Dublin. All the while, congestion continues to erode the quality of life in Dublin on a daily basis.
“The success of the Luas Cross City project makes a strong case for delivery of other much-needed projects over the coming years, such as Metro North, the Dart Expansion Scheme, BusConnects, a proper cycle network and more Luas lines.
“The speedy delivery of these projects is vital to secure the future of Dublin and ensure a high quality of life in the region.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
