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Poll: Satisfaction with public transport is concentrated almost entirely within Dublin

77% of Dubliners feel their area is well serviced by public transport – but in the midlands, 78% feel the exact opposite.

IRELAND IS A country almost entirely dependent on the car. 

Could we ever become a country that uses public transport? Do we want to become a country of buses and trains?

Data from The Good Information Project/Ireland Thinks poll shows a slight increase in the number of people taking public transport and cycling since 2016, also known as pre-Covid times.

While this increase reflects the 2019 Transport for Ireland data on passenger numbers, it shows that Ireland is still heavily dependent on the private car. 

Our preference for the car is invariably related to the existence of alternatives. With so few taking public transport a key question is how the public feel about public transport.

The country is relatively evenly split between those that feel that their area is well serviced (16% say very well and 31% say quite well) and those that feel their area is badly serviced by public transport (25% say quite badly and 21% say very badly). Those that feel their area is badly serviced are also far more likely to take a car as part of their commute. While less than half of commuters that feel their area is well serviced use a car, eight out of ten that feel their area is badly serviced take the car.

Satisfaction with public transport is concentrated almost entirely within Dublin. While 77% of Dubliners feel that their area is well or very well serviced by public transport, this figure falls dramatically for those outside of Dublin.

In the midlands, 78% feel their area is badly or very badly serviced by public transport. Naturally the lack of available public transport limits the numbers of people using it: just 3% for example of those in the South-East region compared to 35% in Dublin.

The public’s priorities

The latest poll also asks about priorities for public investment. There is a clear preference across all types of commuter for further investment in the rail network.

While much political attention is taken up by the cycling network, it is improvements to the rail network that the public are mostly looking for.

44% specify improvements to the rail network as opposed to 33% preferring improvements in roads, 11% in bike lanes/network, and 8% in bus lanes/network. 

This is also correlated with age and party preference with slightly stronger preferences towards the eastern part of the country.

While DART+, DART Underground, Luas and the Metro all look to improve transport either within the county boundaries of Dublin or the existing network of high frequency rail services there are fewer plans to improve services beyond the existing Dublin catchment area. Indeed, compared to other European countries the Irish rail network is much more limited.

One route that has been under review for many years is the €578 million extension of existing rail services to Navan. Previously deemed as not being financially viable the route is again due to be reviewed as part of the upcoming Strategic Rail Review.

Also included in this review following agreement between Stormont Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan is a feasibility study for a Dublin to Derry railway.

The following map shows the existing gap in rail infrastructure across the north-west region.

The chart also shows the average price per square metre of a property based on data from 2014-2018 for Ireland and equivalised estimates for Northern Ireland. It highlights the relationship between infrastructure and development and the cheap necktie of land in the border region.

It is no coincidence that Donegal, cut off from the south, is the poorest county in Ireland.

It is also no coincidence that the most affluent towns outside of Dublin are the ones with a regular commuter service to the centre of the city: Celbridge, Maynooth and Greystones rank as the three wealthiest towns outside Dublin.

The connection between housing demand and infrastructure is undeniable. Therefore, any new rail infrastructure should of course go hand-in-hand with wider strategic planning around housing.

In the 1960s, with varying degrees of success, governments dealt with housing congestion through the development of new towns and public infrastructure.

In Ireland, Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and Blanchardstown were developed. Perhaps the most successful example was Milton Keynes in the UK. Milton Keynes is approximately as far from London as Virginia in County Cavan is from Dublin and yet it is serviced by over 70 trains a day that arrive into London in under 40 minutes.

What initially started as a satellite town has developed into a city in and of itself of over 200,000 people with the second highest GVA per capita in the UK.

Connecting Derry and Dublin would of course be a huge project but perhaps it opens up the possibility of developing one of the least populated parts of Europe (in the top 10% of least populated regions) rather unusually on the doorstep of a housing crisis.

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71 Comments
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    Mute Jimbo Murphy
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:57 PM

    A €414 watch that can only works for 18 hours a day – what’s not to love!?

    104
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    Mute Joe Sullivan
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:25 PM

    Anyone who buys one of these is basically….a Complete and utter f:ukt.ard.

    72
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    Mute Jake Race
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:25 PM

    It’s a complete joke.

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    Mute Alan Kennedy
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    Apr 14th 2015, 3:07 PM

    €414 watch that can only works for 18 hours a day which you can only have four months after you buy it!

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    Mute Cian Rynne
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:45 PM

    Artificial demand they created themselves by deliberately not producing enough to meet consumer demand. Classic Apple tactic

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    Mute Frederick Constant
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    Apr 14th 2015, 2:42 PM

    Or Ferrari logic

    17
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    Mute Stephen Earle
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    Apr 14th 2015, 5:59 PM

    Cian, 957,000 artificial ?

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    Mute Stephen Earle
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    Apr 14th 2015, 6:50 PM

    Cian. If you think about the watch you realize that there are many combinations of watch and strap available and desired and it would be impossible for Apple to stock enough in each retail outlet to suit the various requirements the number of customers, they know they will get, will want. This way they take the orders then get the factories in china rolling away, churning them out etc. Apple do not believe in holding any more stock than enough to meet a day or two of anticipated demand, It’s something tim cook engineered many years ago when Steve Jobs returned which was one of the reasons Apple became so profitable.
    Its not artificial, its the way the worlds most profitable company operates

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    Mute Boganity
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    Apr 14th 2015, 10:35 PM

    …like a cult

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    Mute Stephen Earle
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    Apr 14th 2015, 10:44 PM

    Far from a cult, just a successful company providing many jobs in ireland

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    Mute James Comerford
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:36 PM

    Sure the Apple Watch S will be out by then.

    52
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    Mute BG
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:25 PM

    I can’t wait to pick mine up solely to demonstrate my superiority over the android peasants

    44
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    Mute William Grogan
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:55 PM

    I’ve had my Samsung watch for a year. Besides telling the time it’s got a great feature, if you can’t find your phone it makes it ring :)

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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:57 PM

    I’d sooner be an android peasant than be queueing & ordering for days on end, lapping up whatever product this crowd turf out to these hopelessly addicted idiots

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    Mute Jake Race
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:28 PM

    I have the Samsung Gear S, which runs on Tizen. It is far superior to the Apple Watch and actually costs more, so I guess to me you’re the peasant.

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Apr 14th 2015, 3:00 PM

    Jake, what do you actually use it for? I’ve answered the odd call on it which makes you look like a silly monkey with your ear stuck to your wrist like a wannabe Get Smart. In fact I’d rather answer the phone on my shoe :)

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    Mute Stephen Earle
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    Apr 14th 2015, 6:54 PM

    The samsmug gear looks like a dinner plate on your wrist

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    Mute Jake Race
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    Apr 14th 2015, 10:22 PM

    @William For me it was an upgrade from my nike+ sports band.

    I use it to record runs, walks, hikes, steps and sleep quality.

    I use it to send text messages while taking a dump. I answer phone calls on it while I am driving and for Google maps to alert me of changed travel times and occasionally take calls while away from my phone (walking, hiking etc).

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    Mute Jake Race
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    Apr 14th 2015, 10:24 PM

    @Stehpen Earl you obviously have no clue what the Gear S looks like. It is not even the same shape as a dinner plate. It has a curved screen that wraps around the wrist.

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    Mute Stephen Earle
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    Apr 14th 2015, 10:42 PM

    Looks like a huge curved dinner plate, nerd wear

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    Mute Jake Race
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    Apr 14th 2015, 11:41 PM

    Wow, really doubling down there. It’s not even round. No one who has seen one would claim it looks like a dinner plate.

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Apr 15th 2015, 9:39 AM

    Stephen, depends on how big your wrist is.

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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:22 PM

    I kind of feel sorry for the Apple addicts.

    36
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    Mute Roisin Byrne
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    Apr 14th 2015, 2:42 PM

    While I wouldn’t be parting with my own money for one (I’m a student so I’d have to starve if I wanted one), I don’t see the point begrudging anyone who can afford one and wants one. Yes there are better things to spend your money on, but people regularly spend way more on other pointless things.

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    Mute Neil Hennessy
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:53 PM

    lol – losers.

    35
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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:46 PM

    By the time they arrive in Ireland they will be launching the next version

    31
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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:49 PM

    It’s the adults who are the child with new toys these days….

    30
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    Mute Joanna
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:24 PM

    My life is OVER! (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

    20
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    Mute Boganity
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:48 PM

    Yeh..I heard it comes with a personal countdown clock to the moment of your death.

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    Mute MaryLou(ny)McDonald
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:01 PM

    ,

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    Mute Deco James Connolly
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:49 PM

    The Chinese have come out with a wind up copy , no need to worry about it running out of battery.

    20
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    Mute Frederick Constant
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:30 PM

    I can’t wait. Itching to get one!!

    16
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    Mute Mannix Logan
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:24 PM

    What does this watch do that’s so special

    15
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:56 PM

    Cost a lot.

    19
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    Mute Carlin Ite
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:20 PM

    Expensive shiny shiny. I hate that they are selling it as a health product. There was a time (pun intended)when people could stay fit by eating good food and exercise without the need for trinkets.

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    Mute Jimbo Murphy
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:30 PM

    In the age of big data it has become necessary for corporations to track and monitor every movement of private citizens. This data is a goldmine to whoever collects it.

    18
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    Mute Jake Race
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:46 PM

    @Carlin
    I’ve been using a smart watch for about 5 months now, and I can assure you that without the health functionality it would be a completely pointless device. Especially the apple watch, which needs to be tethered to a phone at all times.

    @Jimbo
    That data also has the potential to revolutionise research into human health and will almost certainly lead to new ways of detecting and diagnosing diseases.

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    Mute Jimbo Murphy
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    Apr 14th 2015, 2:03 PM

    That is true Jake. Big data has positives and negatives. Most people don’t care about their personal data anyway.

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    Mute John Judd
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    Apr 14th 2015, 7:30 PM

    I already find my phone a distraction if i had notifications and messages popping up on my wrist too I wouldn’t get anything done :o

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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Apr 14th 2015, 2:43 PM

    Absolutely gutted,NOT.
    Are people that materialistic for a watch made by a sweat shop, please.

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Apr 14th 2015, 11:19 PM

    To be fair most electronics these days come from about a half dozen places around the world and chances are if your posting here your probably posting on equipment which at least on some level has come from a sweat shop or worse. A lot of the heavy metals in phones contain a percentage of reclaimed metal who’s origin is untracable.In other words its probably burned out of stuff found on landfills in places like India or Nigeria by 4 and 5 year old kids. Welcome to 21st manufacturing.

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    Mute Tim Kearney
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    Apr 14th 2015, 12:43 PM

    I don’t have the time to wait.. !

    6
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    Mute Drew
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    Apr 14th 2015, 5:10 PM

    I bought the new MacBook… Delivery in 3 weeks.

    I like Apple… But I’ll wait to see how this performs in real life, mainly what the battery life is actually like and how scratched and dinged up it looks after a few months wear and will consider V2.

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Apr 14th 2015, 11:23 PM

    Apple laptops don’t take ‘scratched up and dinged’ all that well.There nice and pretty and can do really great things but I wouldn’t be getting em dinged .

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    Mute Jonathan McCoy
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    Apr 14th 2015, 2:54 PM

    Think I’ll stick with my reliable automatic Tissot.

    6
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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Apr 14th 2015, 6:57 PM

    I have a nice handy 10 USD casio and it has been telling the time accurately for the past 10 years . Who needs an apple unless your hungry .

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    Mute Alan Corlett
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    Apr 14th 2015, 1:38 PM

    Oh dear what shame.

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    Mute Rocky Jones
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    Apr 14th 2015, 7:54 PM

    Apple products will end up like Levi jeans. Only old people will have them.

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    Mute Jenny
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    Apr 14th 2015, 8:09 PM

    Will be bought by all the usual sheep!

    2
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    Mute Sheik Yahbouti
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    Apr 14th 2015, 6:00 PM

    Oh, the humanity!

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    Mute Teespring
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    Apr 19th 2015, 9:28 AM

    Apple Watch – iWatch is the new apple watch designed for everyday people. We offer pre iWatch pre orders, plus are the top place to review the new Apple iWatch.

    Access the new Apple Watch here: http://applewatch-1.yolasite.com/

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    Mute Fifty Shades of Sé
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    Apr 14th 2015, 8:49 PM

    How will people know when they’re going to arrive if they don’t have an Apple watch? It’s a vicious catch-22.

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    Mute Tony Sopranovich
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    Apr 14th 2015, 3:07 PM

    Why do you love this watch, people? Watch should show your personality, not navigator! =)))
    You show your personality, perhaps selecting one of the three colors of the strap..Haha!
    I will give preference to the classic wrist watches, like Mido http://www.authenticwatchstore.com/mido.html or something else, but not your Apple watch!

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    Mute John Fogarty
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    Apr 15th 2015, 12:06 PM

    Im gutted now really upset I was hoping to have my watch before my hols. Holidays are ruined now.

    1
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