Councillor call for high-occupancy vehicle lanes on Meath's main roads

Car drivers have been known to have used shop dummies, inflatable dolls and even empty child seats in order to pretend that there is an extra passenger sitting in the car with them as they negotiate bus lanes, a Government Minister has told Meath county councillors.

Independent Cllr Trevor Golden had tabled a motion at the March meeting of the council calling on the Minister for Transport to bring in legislation to allow the introduction of high-occupancy vehicle lanes (bus and car pooling lanes) and suggested the R147 and the N3 as a pilot project.

Cllr Golden had stated that while public transport should be encouraged, it was not always suitable for some people. He suggested that if bus lanes could be used as high-occupancy lanes, the number of cars on the road could be reduced.

The Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan in a letter to the council said that there was very little evidence to show that the high-occupancy lanes were effective in reducing congestion and air pollution.

“Because the restriction is difficult to enforce, a large number of single drivers use these lanes even though it is illegal for them to do so, while others have been known to use shop did not intend introducing dummies, inflatable dolls and even empty child seats in order to pretend that there is an extra passenger sitting in the car with them”, he said.

While his department agreed that it is better for drivers to share their cars rather than drive alone, it would be better if they left their cars at home altogether. If private cars were allowed to use bus lanes then the lanes would not work properly as bus lanes.

For these reasons, neither he nor his predecessor would agree to introduce high-occupancy lanes.