Services for Persons with a DisabilityPark and Ride at Galway Racecourse for €2 Return
22 November 2011
To encourage maximum uptake of it's Christmas Park and Ride Service, which begins on Saturday December 3rd, Galway City Council is keeping the fare at a highly competitive level of just €2 per car irrespective of the number of passengers. This all-in fare incorporates all day parking at Galway Racecourse and return bus travel for the car driver and all his/her passengers to and from the City Centre. The service was launched by Mayor of Galway City Cllr. Hildegarde Naughton on Tuesday November 22 in Eyre Square, marking the near perfect fit of the Park and Ride Service for visitors/shoppers wishing to explore the Galway Christmas Continental Market en route to the wider shopping experience of Galway City Centre.
This year the Park and Ride service will be provided by Bus Éireann and as with previous year's the service will offer fifteen minute frequency during the operating hours of 7:00 to 21:30 Mondays to Saturdays and 11:00 to 19:00 on Sundays. Aimed at alleviating traffic congestion in the run up to the busy Christmas period, the service will run right up to Christmas Eve on Saturday December 24, 2011 in an effort to encourage motorists particularly those travelling along the N6, M6, N18, N17 and Monivea Roads to park at the Racecourse and enjoy a more relaxed journey to the City Centre by bus. Signage will be available along these routes to direct customers to the service at Ballybrit Racecourse.
Commenting on this project, Joe Tansey (Head, Galway Transportation Unit) highlighted that:
"this year we aim to increase customer uptake on last year in an effort to shuttle as many passengers as possible to the business and shopping experience on offer in Galway City Centre. To do so, the fare is deliberately set at a highly competitive level to increase its attractiveness as a travel option for those wishing to access the City Centre. We are highly confident that we are offering an excellent customer service based on our annual customer surveys where for example last year 93% of passengers carried rated the service as excellent. We are inviting all motorists who have not yet experienced Park and Ride to make the change."
More Sustainable Travel Promotional Options
This year Galway Transportation Unit has again teamed up with Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann and An Taisce Green Schools Travel Programme to encourage the public to use sustainable travel options during the run up to Christmas. As part of this initiative, Bus Éireann has introduced €10 return bus fares from numerous town in Co. Galway to Galway City Centre and Iarnród Éireann is offering promotional return fares from Athenry to Galway City Centre. For example, during this sustainable travel initiative adults travelling to Galway City from Athenry after 9:00am can take the train for just €6 return thereby making a saving of €5.30 on the usual fare. In addition, Galway Transportation Unit in conjunction with An Taisce Green Schools Travel programme is again encouraging everyone to walk, take the bus, cycle, park 'n stride and carpool to school in the run up to Christmas.
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Páirceáil agus Taisteal ag Ráschúrsa na Gaillimhe ar €2 ar thicéad fillte
Chun go mbainfear an méid úsáide agus is féidir as Seirbhís Páirceála agus Taistil na Nollag, seirbhís a chuirfear tús léi an 3ú Nollaig, tá Comhairle Cathrach na Gaillimhe ag coinneáil an táille ag leibhéal an-iomaíoch ag €2 an carr cibé cén líon paisinéirí a bheidh sa charr. Féadfar páirceáil ar feadh an lae ag Ráschúrsa na Gaillimhe ar an táille amháin sin agus áireofar leis turas fillte ar bhus do thiománaí an chairr agus do na paisinéirí go léir chuig Lár na Cathrach. Sheol Méara Chathair na Gaillimhe An Comhairleoir Hildegarde Naughton an tseirbhís Dé Máirt an 22 Samhain san Fhaiche Mhór, agus beidh an tSeirbhís Páirceála agus Taistil oiriúnach do chuairteoirí/shiopadóirí ar mhian leo dul chuig Margadh Nollag Ilchríochach na Gaillimhe agus dul ag siopadóireacht i Lár Chathair na Gaillimhe araon.
Bus Éireann a bheidh ag cur na seirbhíse Páirceála agus Taistil ar fáil i mbliana agus ar aon dul le seirbhís na bliana seo caite beidh busanna ag fágáil gach cúig déag nóiméad le linn na huaireanta oibre 7:00 go dtí 21:30 ó Luan go Satharn agus 11:00 go dtí 19:00 ar an Domhnach. Tá sé mar aidhm leis an tseirbhís brú tráchta a laghdú sa tréimhse ghnóthach roimh an Nollaig, agus mar sin beidh an tseirbhís ar fáil go dtí Oíche Nollag Dé Sathairn, an 24 Nollaig, 2011 mar iarracht chun tiománaithe ar bhóithre an N6, M6, N18, N17 agus ar Bhóthar Mhuine Mheá a spreagadh páirceáil ag an Ráschúrsa agus sásamh a bhaint as turas níos suaimhní chuig Lár na Cathrach ar an mbus. Cuirfear comharthaí in airde feadh na mbealaí seo chun custaiméirí a threorú chuig an tseirbhís ag Ráschúrsa Bhaile an Bhriotaigh.
Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Joe Tansey (Ceann, Aonad Iompair na Gaillimhe) agus é ag caint ar an tionscadal: “tá sé i gceist againn cur leis an líon custaiméirí a bhainfidh úsáid as an tseirbhís seo i mbliana mar iarracht an méid paisinéirí agus is féidir a iompar chuig a gcuid gnóthaí gnó agus siopadóireachta i Lár Chathair na Gaillimhe. Chun é sin a chinntiú, tá an táille socraithe ag leibhéal an-iomaíoch chun go mbeidh sé níos tarraingtí mar rogha taistil dóibh sin ar mhian leo teacht chuig Lár na Cathrach. Táimid an-mhuiníneach go bhfuilimid ag soláthar seirbhís den scoth do chustaiméirí bunaithe ar na suirbhéanna bliantúla do chustaiméirí agus anuraidh mar shampla luaigh 93% de na paisinéirí gur seirbhís den scoth a bhí ann. Táimid ag tabhairt cuireadh do gach tiománaí nár úsáid Páirceáil agus Taistil sin a dhéanamh i mbliana.”
Roghanna Taistil Níos Inbhuanaithe a Chur Chun Cinn
Tá Aonad Iompair na Gaillimhe tar éis oibriú arís i mbliana le Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann agus le Clár Taistil Scoileanna Glasa an Taisce chun daoine a spreagadh modhanna taistil níos inbhuanaithe a roghnú roimh an Nollaig. Mar chuid den tionscnamh sin, tá Bus Éireann tar éis tús a chur le táillí bus fillte €10 a bheidh i bhfeidhm ó bhailte éagsúla i gCo. na Gaillimhe go dtí Lár Chathair na Gaillimhe agus tá Iarnród Éireann ag soláthar táillí fillte speisialta ó Bhaile Átha an Rí go dtí Lár Chathair na Gaillimhe. Mar shampla, le linn an tionscnaimh taistil níos inbhuanaithe seo féadfaidh daoine fásta taisteal ar an traein chuig Cathair na Gaillimhe ó Bhaile Átha an Rí tar éis 9:00am ar thicéad fillte €6 agus is ionann sin agus coigilt €5.30 ar an ngnáth tháille. Ina theannta sin, tá Aonad Iompair na Gaillimhe i gcomhar le clár Taistil Scoileanna Glasa an Taisce ag spreagadh gach duine dul ag siúl, an bus a thógáil, dul ag rothaíocht, páirceáil agus siúl agus carranna a roinnt chun dul ar scoil sa tréimhse roimh an Nollaig.