A union representing public transport workers has written to the Taoiseach and other party leaders calling for radical changes to Ireland’s transport system.

A union representing public transport workers has written to the Taoiseach and other party leaders calling for radical changes to Ireland’s transport system.
The National Bus and Rail Union says public transport cannot work with social distancing if it goes back to pre-Covid norms.
It is calling for the Metro and Bus Connects projects to be abandoned.
The NBRU says there will need to be significant changes to public transport systems to accommodate even reduced levels of morning and evening commuters. 
It is suggesting staggered opening times for schools, colleges and workplaces and also for increased incentives for people to work from home.
It also proposes park and ride facilities around urban centres to reduce congestion and to facilitate more frequent bus services.
It argues that planning for future transport “should be based on what is achievable, not on what is desired”.
To this end it says both Bus Connects and the Metro in Dublin should be dropped and that Bus Rapid Transit systems could solve congestion in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway at the fraction of the cost.
These would require dedicated roadways and priority junctions for buses.
It is also calling for a rail line to Navan, the completion of the Western Rail Corridor, a DART spur to Dublin Airport and the start of a Liffey tunnel linking Heuston and Connolly stations.
It says all of these projects could be completed within the lifetime of one government.
The NBRU is also calling for more space for walking and cycling and for accelerated trials of hydrogen and electric buses and trains.