Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, Deputy John Brady, has said that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) made it absolutely clear during a meeting today with the four Wicklow TDs that it is government policy which is driving the deeply flawed N11 bus corridor project which proposes to close the Herbert Road.
Deputy Brady said. “TII were very straight with us, They stated openly that they are simply delivering government policy. The government has set the direction, and TII is following it. The Minister for Transport has the power to give TII different instructions. He has the power to place conditions on the funding to ensure Herbert Road remains open. But he has chosen not to. That failure to act has led directly to this ludicrous proposal to close Herbert Road to force through an unbroken bus corridor down the N11.”
Deputy Brady stressed that this was not a case of TII acting independently but of them implementing the will of government. “The responsibility lies squarely at the Minister’s desk. His refusal to intervene is nothing short of an abdication of duty to the people of Bray.”
According to Deputy Brady:
“The meeting also heard an extraordinary admission from the Chief Executive of TII. The CEO told us bluntly that he has never witnessed such an unprecedented level of opposition to any single element of a project as he has to the closure of Herbert Road. He has been inundated with emails and correspondence from Bray residents and businesses. That speaks volumes. I want to commend the campaigners who have been unrelenting in their opposition. They have shown determination and unity, and they have forced the issue right to the top of TII.”
Deputy Brady said this proves that community pressure is working and must be kept up.
“The people of Bray have made themselves heard in a way that has literally stopped the CEO of TII in his tracks. That is something he admitted he has not seen before. That is a credit to the people of this town.”
It was also confirmed that €3 million of public money has already been spent on planning and consultancy fees for the N11 bus corridor.
Deputy Brady said. “Three million euro of taxpayers’ money has already been blown, and yet not a single assessment has been carried out on what impact — if any — keeping Herbert Road open would have. Across the entire bus corridor network, cars are allowed to turn left onto adjoining roads, cutting across and entering through bus corridors. Allowing that on and off Herbert Road would certainly not be unprecedented — it is the accepted norm and would have minimal, if any, impact on the operation of a bus corridor.
The fact that this option has not even been examined, and that the implications have never been considered by TII, is a stark failure and shows a complete unwillingness to explore alternatives to closing Herbert Road. That is reckless spending and reckless planning of the highest order. People will be rightly outraged that such vast sums have been squandered before even the most basic studies were undertaken.”
Deputy Brady that TII also confirmed Wicklow County Council has a central role in the decision.
“As the statutory Roads Authority, Wicklow County Council must give its support before this project can proceed. That means the Council cannot wash its hands of the issue. They are at the heart of it. It has been agreed that the four Wicklow TDs will now meet with the Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council to discuss this directly. That meeting will be critical.”
Deputy Brady concluded with a stark warning:
“Closing Herbert Road would devastate Bray. It would hit residents, it would hit businesses, and it would create chaos across the town. The people of Bray have spoken with one voice, in unprecedented numbers, against this closure. Yet the government refuses to listen. Let me be clear: I will continue to fight with every tool available to keep Herbert Road open. The community will not accept this closure, and neither will I.”