"Green" policies are destroying this country

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042306#Comment_121042306

The appropriate tools for the job is something perhaps greens should try and get their heads around when it comes to private car usage rather than attempting to force people to use bicycles or public transport in areas where it is not fit for purpose.

I'm scratching my head to think of a location where a bike or bus is not "fit for purpose" but a car is.

There's also no indication that anyone is being forced to do anything. Quite the opposite, as more priority is given to PT/AT, they become a viable choice for more and more people as evidenced by the likes of the Canal Cordon surveys which shows car usage dropping while other modes are all increasing for many, many years.

There is, however, reprioritization happening

charlie14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042380#Comment_121042380

If you are a rural dweller especially it doesn`t take much head scratching. Distance and poor to none existent public transport, and even where their is public transport unsuitable time tables. Surprising as it may seem to you, people have more for doing than spending their day peddling or hanging around waiting for a bus.

Shoog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042532#Comment_121042532

Over 70% of Irish citizens live in towns and cities. The country folk will look after their own needs, but its where the majority of people live in urban centres where increased access to public transport and foot/cycle lanes will bring the most benefit to the most people.

It's going the way that only essential services will be allowed into town/cities so having a car will not make much difference. It's not if it happens - it's when it happens.

My own personal experience is that houses which are within easy walking distance of towns now fetch a substantial premium. I am currently moving to a location where everything is walkable - the 15min town. Where I currently live you need a car for everything.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042532#Comment_121042532

If you live in the sticks don't be surprised at the lack of services/distance to services 🤷‍♂️

I did it myself, stupidest move I ever made. Best day ever was when I sold that place

deholleboom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042072#Comment_121042072

Being from Holland i grew up cycling. It is THE great liberator growing up w yr circle ever expanding. You learn to cope with cars already trained in expecting bicycles. Not so in Ireland. In Holland you are mainly on the flat so cycling to nearby places is the most convenient and easiest way to get around. I only learned how to drive in Ireland. I live in a rural area and need a car.

The dutch turned against the government when they tried to enforce EU rules using faulty tech and changed rules halfway through the game. Just like the climate models are used to enforce EU rules that are not fit for purpose. They need a continueing emergency to keep going and therefor have to keep alarmism on top of the news. The time is running out for the people are pushing back. It is a race between green fascism and the people. In time things will return to the mean, the median. At least it should. Resist green compliance with all you got.

I think the issue of cycling/cycling lanes is way down the list of importance..

roosterman71

Increasing in PT transport is good. I don't see how anyone would say it's not. It's been lacking for years and the new local/rural links are fantastic. I've close experience dealing with one route (not using it myself note!) and there are always people on it. Fantastic for bringing people along the routes to the bigger urban centres for whatever needs they want. And the local one to me accepts the bus pass and thus allows pensioners to go to these towns for nothing more than a walk around and gets them away from their homes where they were stuck without their car or the generosity of neighbours. It's truly brilliant to have this service.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042600#Comment_121042600

That suits you, but not others. Many people want the opposite and get out of towns and cities. You are right of course that if you make that choice then the services of towns/cities don't come too. The penalising of motorists then shouldn't be happening with increasing taxes all the time. They should be given options via PT, and if that option isn't there then that's the governments fault, not the individual so screwing said individual will just turn them more "anti-green".

There is a downside that I see it. Closing town centers off to cars, or at least not having park and ride facilities will push those coming into the towns to hover on the outskirts in the retail parks and what have ya. That then has a negative effect on the town centre. Take Dublin as an example where the city centre is overrun by thugs and gimps and those working there just come in and get out ASAP. There's no push by those in charge to build apartments/housing and revitalise centres.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042754#Comment_121042754

Those working in Dublin City centre just come in and get out? Many of us like it you don't speak for us all. And all the packed bars and restaurants and streets say otherwise. Don't buy into the scaremongering.

charlie14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042600#Comment_121042600

Good for you, but not everyone wishes to be cramed into cities with centers that are effectively no go areas. Especially not if you are someo raising a young family. End of the day people will make their choices and vote accordingly.

charlie14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042577#Comment_121042577

I`m not sure on the idea of houses within an easy walking distance being a sustainable solution Presently they are fetching a substantial premium, so with the market following the money then more will be built creating an urban sprawl where eventually they will not be within easy walking distance so you are back where you started with just more shops and services being built on the outskirts to add to the spraw. Meanwhile town centres would become the kind of soulless no-go areas we are already seeing in larger towns and cities.

Shoog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042896#Comment_121042896

European cities do a fairly good job of managing what we find impossible. Go figure.

Thelonious Monk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042827#Comment_121042827

Centres that are no go areas in Ireland lol. You need to get out more.

Shoog

Ireland does seem to have a special talent for building scummy estates.

The problem is that the great and the good look down on people who live in estates so don't think they deserve better. Same reason why very few urban centers have decent parks.

There is terrible snobbery involved.

bluedex

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121036103#Comment_121036103

Don't forget:

• No more straws (think of the carbon emmissions)

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121041486#Comment_121041486

In all fairness god fearing Catholic farmers have been abstaining from eating meat on Fridays for generations with no complaint about if interfering with their health diets

roosterman71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121043258#Comment_121043258

Bullshit! That was a religious thing back in the 80s and before it. It's pretty much gone by the wayside now as religious influence has waned. I used to be forced to do it as a chap by my mother and I hated Friday lunch and dinners

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121043334#Comment_121043334

Whats bullshit about it? Are you saying it didn't happen or that the farming organisations were always protesting to Catholic Church about the negative impact on peoples healthy diets and farming incomes?

Akrasia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121042577#Comment_121042577

Yeah. Really public transport in a well designed urban centre with good amenities offers freedom from the need to own a car, not the other way around where car ownership is linked with freedom.

in a city, what freedom does a car really offer you?

The freedom to go somewhere on a whim without having to plan ahead and get there a bit faster without having to walk far.

The freedom to go to places that are remote or not serviced by public transport.

The freedom to have your own space where you don't need to be around other people.

The freedom to spend hours driving to places where you have to constantly pay attention and alert to hazards.

The freedom to spend ages looking for somewhere safe to park the car.

The freedom to have to pay Motor tax.

The freedom to have to pay car insurance.

The freedom to have to bring your car to get serviced.

The freedom to have to bring your car to get refuelled.

The freedom to have to bring your car to get repaired.

The freedom to have to bring your car to get NCTd.

The freedom to pay for the damage caused by other people who can recklessly damage your car when it's unattended.

The freedom to pay several euros an hour every time you stop driving the car in a public place.

The freedom to socialise with your friends but not be able to have a drink because you're driving everyone else home.

The freedom to be called by your friends or family to come and collect them from town after the pubs close and they can't get a taxi.

The freedom to park the car in town when you go out for a few drinks, get a taxi home, and then have to get another taxi back to town the next day to get your car before it gets a parking ticket.

The freedom to pay tolls.

The freedom to collect and ferry your teenage children around the city to their activities.

The freedom to have to spend hours every year shopping around for cheaper car insurance and to pay huge premiums should you ever have to make a claim.

The freedom to pay your car loan or pay the upfront cost for your car, which depreciates every day even if you don't drive it.

While most people would still like to keep a car for some of the benefits they offer, if public transport and town planning improved to the point that people could substitute most of those use cases with public transport or active transport, then more and more people will decide that they don't need several cars in their household. Businesses will benefit from being along public transport routes, and this will in turn make public transport more attractive and increase the frequency of the services. Taxis, car sharing and short term rentals could cover those use cases where you need to take a longer trip off the beaten path.

Larbre34

All fine and idealistic, but who ever confines themselves to a City, especially in Ireland where they are small and the scattered commuter belts are big.

Not to mention the national pastime of lots of leisure and socialising in different parts of the Country from where you live.

Many of those aspects you mention as a negative are actually the positives for owning a private car. If my daughter finds herself stranded after a night out at 2.40am on the other side of town, I can walk out the door and do something about it, without the cost and personal risk of sending a taxi for her on her own.

The private car is the very essence of freedom and the Western world was built on it. If anyone thinks levering that away from people's daily lives will be easy, then I've a monorail to sell them.

Shoog

I started out living in a city and lived happily for about 5 years without a car. Unfortunately the Tories were at the time starving the rail service of funds in preparation for privatisation. This meant that train services were so unreliable, especially at weekends, that I was forced to learn to drive so we could visit my wives family.

When we move back to the town in a few months time we will ditch one car. I would love the freedom to ditch both but we are not there yet.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121043488#Comment_121043488

I managed to get rid of mine back in 2020. I've never been happier. For the very rare occasion when a car is the only solution, I use GoCar.

Turns out I really, absolutely, positively have no other option and must use a car less than 10 times a year

The financial savings alone make it worthwhile

roosterman71

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121043394#Comment_121043394

Bullshit to the reference that it's still ongoing at any widespread scale. Plus, it was religious based and no one was going to question it in regards health, sanity, economics or otherwise

Shoog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121043466#Comment_121043466

Many younger people are actively choosing not to live in a situation that demands a car. It's a generational thing but don't assume that what makes sense to you is automatically sensible for everyone.

It is the very paucity of decent public transport that keeps many people in cars.

WishUWereHere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121041424#Comment_121041424

Well said Marno.

As for Your last paragraph yes so right, Ryan hasn’t a clue about road safety and enforcement of road laws.

Always said ( and this is no reflection on Ryan per se ) but a green should never ever be a minister of transport.

WishUWereHere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121041403#Comment_121041403

This is a load of bollox. A few years ago the government of the day wanted to do away with 80kph limit & go back to the old white sign with a black line but of course that fell by the wayside.

This is all guff, nothing more nothing less.

charlie14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121043011#Comment_121043011

We have stabbings and serious assaults in our capital city centre in broad daylight, and there are any number of even large towns centres let alone cities where I would not advice you to go for a leisurely stroll after dark if you value your well being. .

charlie14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121043010#Comment_121043010

Not really the point I was making, but no matter.

prunudo

Busy day on the thread, couple of points to some topics.

Its not up to the Epa to be suggesting how many days a week we eat meet. They should stick to reporting facts based on data not offering opinion on diet.

Secondly, regarding the 30kph speed limit idea. Its a good idea in housing estates ( or even less tbh) but don't think its wise in all urban settings. Beside, most cyclists will be easily going above that.

ps200306

More of Eamon Ryan abandoning the carrot for the stick. New €10/tonne levy on household waste being passed on by waste collectors as per Panda below:

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications have introduced the Circular Economy (Waste Recovery Levy) Regulations 2023. The Waste Recovery Levy has been established to increase the disposal cost of residual general waste by €10 per tonne excluding VAT, in a bid to encourage customers to segregate their waste streams and to recycle more.

This Levy is part of the government’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy which includes recycling targets for general waste of 55% by 2025. This Levy will apply to all General Waste collected from September 1st, 2023.

General waste already costs more than green waste, so I imagine most people are recycling as much as possible. I suppose there's a few more dirty meat cartons I could bung in the green bin to stink things up for the recyclers. That seems to be what Eamo wants me to do... unless it's just more of the Greens' standard MO of taxing people till they bleed.

Coolcormack1979

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121044118#Comment_121044118

All that adding more tax on waste collection will do is lead to more dumping in the ditches of rural Ireland as well as them god dam bogs here as well.while those of us who pay for bin collection are just charged more in the name of saving the polar bears

prunudo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121044118#Comment_121044118

I find most of my general waste bin is filled with dirty soft plastics that aren't supposed to be recycled. I don't know how much more recycling I can actually do.