THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THE CARBON ...THEY ONLY WANT CASH

IN THE weeks leading up to Budget 2020’s unveiling, we heard that the climate crisis would be at the heart of it, as the Government looked to reduce our reliance on the private car as part of a wider effort to meet our climate change obligations.

What was actually delivered, however, demonstrated that this Government, like its predecessors, cares more about grabbing cash than they do about reducing carbon.

In the weeks and months before the Budget, the AA and many other organisations called on the Government to be ambitious in tackling climate change.

If we are to make our transport cleaner, then major incentives, such as a diesel-to-electric scrappage scheme, investment in cycling infrastructure and funding for public transport, are what we needed to see in this Budget.

Unfortunately, what we actually saw was a government cynically exploit the climate crisis to justify a tax hike, while doing just enough in terms of funding for sustainable transport methods to maintain the illusion of a true climate Budget.

Whether you’re a motorist, a public transport user, a cyclist, or a user of a mixture of all modes of transport, there was little in Budget 2020 to leave you happy or convinced that the Government understands the extent of the crisis we face.

THE increase in carbon tax will add 2c to a litre of petrol or diesel – with the AA estimating that this will increase the average motorist’s driving costs by between €35 and €60 a year, depending on the size of your fuel tank.

Will that increase lead to any motorist deciding to leave the car at home and commute via another method?

Not on its own, and certainly not when the Government continues to under-invest in sustainable transport.

Allowing for the increase in carbon tax, a litre of petrol will now cost approximately 147c on average.

However, in the past we have seen prices as high as the mid-150s.

When this happened in 2014 and 2015, did we see commuters leave the car at home because of the higher cost? No.

Ultimately, they still had a job to get to, so they simply paid more to allow them to do so if they didn’t have access to an alternative.

As a nation, particularly in rural Ireland, we have for too long been over-reliant on the private car as a main mode of transport.

In recent years, we have seen cycling figures grow, something which needs to be welcomed and encouraged, while viable public transport options (where they exist) are stuffed to the rafters.

This confirms one simple thing – the idea of ‘if you build it, they will come’ holds true when it comes to transport planning.

Unfortunately, both this Government and previous governments have routinely fallen short of building or investing in adequate infrastructure.

Dublin, more so than anywhere else in the country, has an abundance of public transport options.

However, even at maximal capacity, the public transport system in our capital can only accommodate about 50% of those who commute into Dublin for work or to attend college.

As you move away from the capital into our other cities, such as Cork and Galway, the lack of public transport provision becomes an even greater problem for those who want to leave the car at home.

Meanwhile, the situation is even graver for those living in rural Ireland who, with the exception of a bike and poorly designed cycling infrastructure, often have no other option than the private car.

This is the situation we need to look at rectifying if we are to have any success in meeting our climate change obligations.

The Government can increase the tax on fuel by 2c this year (and frankly for however many years they feel like), but until you give people viable options, all these increases do is raise the cost of living for people trying to get to work and contribute to the economy.

These increases are representative of a Government which has seen the opportunity to claw in more cash, while a PR unit spins it as a climate measure.

In Budget 2020, the Government did announce some investment in rural public transport and cycling infrastructure, but what was announced won’t have left anyone feeling confident that the Government is committed to changing commuter behaviour.

IN a country where, according to CSO data, 56% of journeys taken by those living outside of Dublin are under 15 minutes in duration, there is no reason not to provide quality cycling infrastructure so that people can take these short journeys by bike.

A pitiful €9million investment in cycling infrastructure for next year barely moves us closer to achieving that vision.

Essentially, the Government picked up the rugby ball that is sustainable transport, advanced it a yard, and took it back to the ground.

Progress, sure, but a long way short of a try.

In the context of Brexit, the Government’s commitment to a ‘play it safe’ Budget was a sensible approach.

However, in the face of the climate crisis, we no longer have time to simply play it safe.

We needed an ambitious plan which would give people a reliable, viable alternative to the private car.

Unfortunately, what we got was a government with its eyes on the cash while the horse blinkers blocked out the wider crisis.