Congestion costs Metro millions on its 3rd birthday!
7th February 2008:
Congestion costs Metro Millions
New research released today (Metro’s 3rd anniversary) shows that congestion on
Translink has revealed that for every 1km/h its Metro buses slow down when caught in congestion - it costs the company and the tax payer an extra £1million per annum.
Ciaran Rogan from Translink said, “Over the past 6 years our buses are running over 3km/h more slowly – this costs us £3.2 million each year – that’s the same as an extra 10% on the fares or 20% more services or £11 from every Belfast taxpayer. We should be using this money to get more people on to public transport and making the city a better place to live.”
“Of course people who have to use their cars also get caught in the slower traffic but slower buses mean more fuel, more drivers and more vehicles as Metro keeps to a route and runs to a timetable; they cannot set out earlier or take a different route to avoid heavy traffic!”
“But it doesn’t have to be like this – more priority for buses and their passengers means faster journeys and less traffic – even those who have to use cars are better off. We are working with Roads Service to deliver bus priority throughout the city as quickly as we can and get real improvement – the
The Minister and the Executive are investing in public transport – this is great news and will mean a healthier, more sustainable and efficient city. Half a million people a week now use Metro - this means around 38,000 fewer cars on
Ends
For further information please contact Keelin Kelly at Morrow Communications on 028 9039 3837 or email k.kelly@morrowcommunications.com
Notes to Editor
- Translink calculated the annual cost of congestion for Metro services by analysing the average bus speed, stop times, and number of ‘bus wheel turning hours’ worked between 7.30am – 9am and again from 3pm – 6pm as compared with other times of the day when traffic is more free flowing
- Translink set out to calculate the knock on effect congestion is having on public transport services. As it stands, having compared our operating costs in congested and free flowing traffic, £1million appears to be a conservative estimate in terms of the overall cost and does not take into consideration the impact of lost time to the wider economy.
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