Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has published the second annual progress report on the implementation of the National Sustainable Mobility Policy (SMP), and the associated SMP Action Plan 2022-2025.
The report summarises the progress made since the policy was launched in 2022. It highlights significant achievements in the second year of the policy’s implementation, including:
- The ongoing rollout of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, which saw passenger numbers increasing by 78% year-on-year to 3.2 million in 2023.
- The continued implementation of a programme to improve town bus services with new services in Carlow and Clonmel, and planning underway for services in Ennis, Letterkenny, Mullingar and Portlaoise.
- The publication of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, along with continued expansion of rail fleet capacity, and ongoing progress on the DART+ programme. The railway order (similar to a planning application) for DART+ Coastal North was submitted to An Bord Pleanála in July 2024, and permission was granted by the Bord for the DART+ West line in the same month.
- Investment of over €290 million in walking and cycling projects in 2024, bringing the total invested in such projects to over €1 billion since 2020.
- The development and publication of the National Cycle Network and the Cycle Design Manual.
- The commencement of legislation to permit the use of Powered Public Transporters (PPTs) on public roads and regulations to allow for the safe use of e-scooters.
- The delivery of transport appraisal guidance, guidelines to Local Authorities on traffic calming measures and critically important Sustainable and Compact Settlement Guidance.
- The publication of a new Strategic Approach to Public Engagement on Climate Action and Sustainable Mobility 2024-25, and the delivery of a second National Sustainable Mobility Forum – held earlier this year in Portlaoise.
The report shows that, of the 91 actions set out in the SMP Action Plan, 70% of actions are completed, on schedule or ongoing. Most of the delayed actions are due for completion by the end of 2024.
Minister Ryan said: “Achieving our carbon emissions reduction targets in the transport sector will be an enormously challenging task, but the tide is starting to turn. Although transport is proving to be one of the hardest sectors to transition to ‘net zero’, the latest figures from the Environmental Protection Agency showed that transport-related emissions in 2023 were 4.3 per cent below 2019 levels, and virtually level with 2022 figures – the first indication we have seen that transport emissions are becoming decoupled from economic growth.
“The Sustainable Mobility Policy is intended to create the conditions for more sustainable travel choices, by improving and strengthening our public transport and active travel infrastructure and services, and I remain confident that – by continuing to work together to implement its actions – the Policy can transform how we all travel for work, education, sports and social activities, and how we go about our daily lives with friends, family and within our communities. Supplementing the Sustainable Mobility Policy, a new ‘Moving Together’ strategy, which has recently concluded a process of public consultation, will be another crucial step towards ensuring that our multi-modal transport system is more effective and works for everyone.”
The report demonstrates the extensive collaboration that is happening across a wide stakeholder group – departments, agencies, local authorities, civil society groups, business, industry, political representatives, communities and unions – to achieve the broad-ranging objectives of the Sustainable Mobility Policy.
