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Environment and the Economy
109
distances travelled by private car;
and improving security of energy
supply by reducing dependency
on imported fossil fuels. The
strategy aims to bring forward
actions to reduce the distance
travelled by private car, to improve
access to alternatives to the car,
to improve fuel efficiency and to
improve governance to deliver
implementation of sustainable
transport policy. The policy requires
actions from a wide range of
Government Departments,
agencies and local authorities.
Investment in transport, and in
particular in large-scale public
transport projects such as Metro
North, has seen a sharp fall in
funding as a result of the economic
recession. Government policy is now
focused on a wide range of small-
scale projects such as improving
the existing network, cycling and
pedestrianisation projects and the
Smarter Travel Areas programme.
In 2012, Limerick City, Dungarvan
and Westport were awarded
a combined total funding of
€23 million over a five-year period to
transform into Smarter Travel Areas,
promoting cycling and walking, the
use of public transport, and reducing
car travel. In broad terms, these
Smarter Travel Area projects include
provisions for:
n
improved cycling ways, including
safe routes to school and to key
business and workplace zones
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secure cycle parking in town
centres or at public transport
nodes
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better walking facilities, including
pedestrianisation
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lower speed limits in residential
and town centre areas
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school and workplace travel
planning
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e-working
n
car clubs.
Alternative fuels and electric
vehicles also comprise a significant
element of Government policy to
reduce transport emissions. Under
the European Renewable Energy
Directive, Ireland is obliged to
deliver 10% of transport energy by
renewable sources by 2020 – this
is the RES-T target. The Biofuels
Obligation Scheme 2010 and the
rollout of electric vehicles underpin
the achievement of this target. The
electric vehicle target is for 200,000
electric vehicles in the national
vehicle fleet by 2020. Electric vehicles
are projected to account for one-
tenth of the RES-T target by 2020,
with biofuels contributing the
remaining nine-tenths.
EPA emission projections (2012b)
estimate that, under the most
optimistic scenario, transport
emissions will decrease by 1.4% over
the period 2011–2020, returning
transport emission to 2002 levels by
2020. In this scenario, it is assumed
that renewable energy penetration
is 10% by 2020 while more
efficient road traffic movements
and public transport efficiencies
are also assumed to deliver savings.
Achieving emissions reductions into
the future in the transport sector
remains a significant challenge – the
EPA projections are predicated on
the assumption that all policies and
measures will deliver as anticipated
and in full. Failure to deliver on these
policies will result in higher emissions
from this sector.
Research on Irish transport and
policy initiatives further highlights
the difficulty of moving to a more
sustainable transport economy.
Figure 8.4 shows that despite the
economic downturn, the proportion
of those travelling to work by private
cars is still growing, while use of
more sustainable travel modes is
declining.
Switching vehicle taxation to
emissions instead of engine size in
2008 was an attempt to incentivise
more sustainable transport choices.
The new car taxation system also
highlights how environmental
Figure 8.4
Travel to Work Mode by Percentage (Source: CSO)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Bicycle
Rail/Dart/LUAS
Bus
Walk
Private Car Driver
1981
1986
1991
1996
2002
2006
2009