Sustainable Transport Bridge shuttle bus in Waterford scrapped 

The planned electric shuttle bus that was part of the North Quay’s sustainable transport bridge development ‘is no longer justifiable’ and has been removed from the plans.

The courtesy bus was to provide a link from the north quays to the south quays via the new sustainable transport bridge.

Responding to a query about the plans from Cllr Jason Murphy at a meeting of Waterford councillors this week, Michael Quinn, Director of Services with Waterford City and County Council, said that the bus was to be funded by the Alhokair Group, a Saudi Arabian retail developer that was involved in the early stages of the North Quays and Michael Street retail developments.

Resulting from a change in developer, Mr. Quinn said the bus is no longer appropriate: “The original proposal was to be funded by Alokair, the retail operator who was going to own the North Quays development and Michael street. Both of those have now substantially changed in terms of what the development proposals are and a courtesy bus is simply not justifiable given the cost of it and the level of usage that it would get.

“What we now have is a completely different proposition and a completely different developer. The idea of just automatically assuming that an electric bus can be provided across the bridge is not realistic.” 

'Outrageous and disingenuous' 

A number of Waterford councillors expressed considerable disappointment upon hearing that the bus had been removed.

Cllr Jason Murphy said: “The Suir river is one of the widest expanses of river in the state. We’re planning 300 apartments over there and we don’t provide parking for apartments, that’s in our policy. We’re supposed to be supporting public transport and we’re supposed to be supporting people using sustainable transport.

“I think it’s outrageous and disingenuous just to dismiss this electric bus that connected the north quays with the core city centre. That was going to be a key aspect of this whole development and I find it shocking that’s its gone.” 

Metropolitan Mayor, Cllr. Joe Kelly added: “This is a vital part of the connection between the north and south quays for trying to prevent traffic going across rice bridge, chronic tailbacks and CO2 being emitted.

“For people that live in the Ferrybank area, to not be able to get across the bridge other than walking when its lashing rain, freezing cold and windy in the winter, is completely short sighted and unacceptable."

“This going forward is going to be a hot button issue, this is not going to be ended here in the council by simply saying we’re not having the bus. Certainly if it’s not put back into the plans, I think every council meeting from now on will have this on the agenda, because it’s not acceptable" Cllr Kelly added.

Cllr Seamus Ryan said he was ‘not happy at all’ that the bus has been removed: "I’m disappointed to hear that because it was one of the selling points of that particular project, even the video on the website shows this transport going across the bridge."

Cllr Eamon Quinlan commented on the council changing plans after they have been approved: “This is something the public have noticed.

"Often they see designs and plans when the council is doing a development, and then when it comes time to actually do the development, it bears no resemblance to what they would have seen in the plans."

“In our planning for this there’s a plateau area around the clock tower, that would be specifically for shuttle buses to come across so they could turn," he said. 

"We can’t just abandoned basic, underlying aspects of a plan like this," he added. “It boggles the mind. We fought to basically take the rest of Ferrybank off Kilkenny council and bring it into Waterford under our administration, and now we're told there’s insufficient clientele for a small shuttle bus going back and forth. I know that’s wrong, you know that’s wrong, we all know that’s wrong."

Finding a solution

Responding to the concerns, Mr Quinn said that the National Transport Authority would be contacted and that Ferrybank residents will have alternative transport options.

“Firstly, I acknowledged all the comments that have been made," he said.

"If we want an electric bus, we would actually have to approach the NTA, because it would have to be a public bus service," he added.

"The logic of a public bus service going across the bridge is highly unlikely to be in any way an advisable proposition from the NTA’s point of view.

“I’m quite happy to make that request, but it literally is a bus service from the north side of the bridge to the south."

Mr Quinn went on to comment: “If I’m in Ferrybank I will be able to get public transport across Rice Bridge, and onto the quays, so the idea of putting a miniature bus service to go from the north side of the river to the south side of the river, is highly unlikely to get approved.” 

Cllrs Adam Wyse, Joe Kelly and Seamus Ryan suggested that more proactive approaches should be considered, including contacting the current retail developer and private bus services. 

Cllr Joe Kelly said: “Going to the NTA in my view is both foolish and a waste of our time, because they will probably say no. The bus could well be paid for by the people who are building all these apartments and shops, with some involvement from the Council”