The National Transport Authority (NTA) has published its annual report and financial statements for 2021. Progress was made on a number of projects in 2021 but the Covid 19 pandemic continued to be the dominant theme for the year with public health measures and the Government’s directive to work from home, where possible, in operation which ensured passenger numbers on public transport services remained subdued.
Significant progress was made on three capital progress during the year – BusConnects, Metrolink and the Dart Expansion. Two phases of the BusConnects revised network for Dublin were launched – the H & C Spines in June and November respectively, which resulted in enhanced high frequency bus services as well as local and radial routes on the Malahide and Maynooth bus corridors.
The NTA published the draft BusConnects network redesign for Cork City. The Authority began to transition the bus fleet to greener more environmentally friendly vehicles – the Galway city bus services are now provided entirely with an electric-hybrid double deck fleet, while separately the tenders for a battery-electric single deck and double deck bus fleet was completed.
In cooperation with local authorities across the country a significantly increased number of walking and cycling schemes were delivered. The NTA also continued to support the Small Public Service Vehicles (SPSV) sector – the wheelchair accessible fleet in the SPSV sector grew to 17% of the total fleet in 2021.
The NTA published the draft transport strategy for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) 2022-2042. Work also commenced on the Waterford Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy and the revised Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Plan.
During 2021, the NTA played a key role to incentivise a return to public transport with the introduction of a new short-distance 90-minute fare on TFI Leap, a new flat child fare and the expansion of the student and young adult Leap card.
The NTA funded a wide variety of projects under its Regional Local Authorities Active Travel Programme and the Sustainable Transport Measures Grant Programme – 340 sustainable transport projects were funded in 19 local authority areas nationwide.
Tá an leagan Gaeilge ar fáil. Féach:https://www.nationaltransport.ie/publication/annual-report-2021/
