Sallins pay parking

[robert muldoon]

I spent some time on this today. I went down to the profect office in sallins and was informed that the actual car park for rail users is finished but the access from the car park to the station is not.So after a lot of patience toing and froing with Irish Rail a Myles Mc Hugh called me from IR and informed me that the contract for the work had been signed and work on this access route would be commencing before the end of next week, this work would take up to 2 -3 weeks, so people we are looking at early December. I wonder.....

[AZ1]

Hi!
Where can one get details of shuttle bus services between Sallins&Naas and Nas Town? (The details shown in IE's timetable are not that clear).
Can someone tell the name/number/website of the service operator, and where they drop you off in Naas?
Thanks in advance.

[Mark Gleeson]

It Popular Square (and yes that is the correct spelling)

It is run by a local private operator on behalf of Irish Rail who doesn't appear to have a licence to provide any class of service under the 1932 act and isn't shown on the annual licence list

Both Derek and Tom know the rest of the details and also that the service is utterly rubbish

Since its run on behalf of Irish Rail, you need to contact Irish Rail 1850 366222 or Irish Rail Southern and Western on 703-4499. Its IE's problem

[AZ1]

Thanks, Mark, for the info and the tel. numbers.
I wonder if we could ask Derek and Tom to post the details of the "service" here so that the info is available to whoever wants it, and since our institutions dont care?

When you can't get a lift (which you shouldn't have to rely on), it's no joke walking the 3 miles into Naas (largest town in Kildare), in the dark and rain because the shuttle's not there.

Can IE really utilize the services of an unlicensed operator?
And if things are not all above board, should this not be "shared" with the press, at least locally? Are they waiting for the proverbial accident first?

[Mark Gleeson]

All I know is there is no mention of a bus service from Sallins to Naas in the offical list of licenced routes. The service could be exempt from the 1932 act for some reason, it is only available to rail passengers

The operator is still insured and has the required certification and so on for the bus and its not a very big bus

Despite its less than reliable history withdrawal of the service is not in the passenger interest

Even if the service is in breech of the 1932 act the maximum fine is a trivial amount by modern standards

[AZ1]

Mark, I agree that withdrawal of the service is not in our interest, but having EASY access to operating info surely is?!
I can't figure our why this info is not clearly posted on a notice in the station.

If you take a look at IE's suburban timetable, shuttles times are entered in italics, but it's not specified whether the times stated are ex-Naas or ex-Sallins. The info is set up to lead intending passengers to believe that the shuttle service does actually exist and operate...

Derek and Tom, if you have that info, can you put it up here for us? Thanks!

[Mark Gleeson]

The times are very clear in the timetable a lot clearer than the past when it was a separate table hidden in the back of the booklet

Time stated is the departure time to/from Naas as appropiate. Times favour the flow of passengers, so morning its not a good idea try Dublin Naas

Departure time from Naas when heading to Dublin i.e bus that takes you to Sallins from Naas for a train to Dublin

It states clearly

Times in Italics denote bus departure times.

The entry in the timetable is consistent and in the correct order Naas is shown between Sallins and Newbridge, Irish Rail are infact to be commended for providing a proper integrated timetable for the Kildare line which shows all interconnecting bus services, it only took them 12 years to get it sorted out

[robert muldoon]

Quinn Reddin(Carlow) the contractor for the access route to the station woukd appear to have arrived on site in Sallins (at least the name is up on lamp posts), there is very little activity as yet,the area has been fenced off. I will try and contact them to see if there is a finishing date

[James_Lawless]

Hi all,

James from NASRUG here. Few things.

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

It Popular Square (and yes that is the correct spelling)

It's not actually It is so called as a line of Poplar trees originally graced the square. Although the alternate spelling has emerged colloqially.

Originally Posted by Derek Wheeler

Furthermore NASRUG appear to be in favour of it and the reason why is a conflict of interest.But thats their bag..

I don't get this comment.

We are perhaps neutral on it in the sense that there are alternate options to access Sallins station and there are many current car drivers who really could and should use alternate means. My own view would be that in an ideal world we could abandon cars out of the equation altogether and have a proper integrated transport system being the default first choice for all journeys.

So in a sense encouraging car use is contrary to principle of public transport. Elsewhere on the P11 site it is stated that ever expanding rail car parks are not the answer. To my mind if a token fee causes more people to cycle/walk/feeder bus than that is a good thing.

HOWEVER I do accept there are many who live in rural areas, urban areas off the feeder circuit, have kids to get to creche etc, are simply dependent on cars. The realpolitik of it is we knew it was coming, rather than fighting a doomed campaign we put our efforts elsewhere.

Back to the question of when it was coming I spoke to Myles today and yesterday on this, work started yesterday, it was significantly delayed but better late than never, we have also agreed some concessions to encourage usage over the initial period. Will be open by Christmas.

James

[CSL]

Any updates on parking per day/costs/CCTV/clamping company etc ? A thread has started on boards.ie regarding.

[Mark Gleeson]

We assume its the now standard 2/5 euro gig, it has CCTV but fat lot of good it will be. Euro Car Parks are the operator http://www.eurocarparks.ie/ and they do clamp

Irish Rail have refused to discuss the charge, though we finally got them formally note our opinion that if a charge is applied a visable return be provided eg security presence. The decision was made by the CIE board IE management seem to be powerless to over rule it

We have been told, if you don't want to pay you get no car park so it truely is a no win situation.

Following a submission made by us with respect to Pace/Dunboyne Irish Rail have informed us at a meeting and confirmed in writing that they are now investigating the possibilty of have a combined rail + parking ticket available through the taxsavers scheme allowing tax relief on the full cost of commuting

[plant43]

On the subject of car parks, is getting people who use it to pay for it not the fairest way of doing it? I can't imagine it's cheap to expand a car park and provide the extra facilities (assuming CCTV is installed and security personnel are provided). The only other way of doing it would be to integrate it into the cost of a ticket. As a non-car user who would sooner cycle short distances than drive I would find this grossly unfair. I think I read somewhere that the money brought in would also be used to improve bike parking facilities and this should be encouraged in my opinion.

As for people who live in rural areas, they made the choice to live there and I don't think it should be up to me to subsidise that decision.

[Mark Gleeson]

That would be grand but

1. The car park is there already, its just extra spaces, you park in the old space you still get charged

2. Irish Rail have access to heaps of cash from the DoT to build these car parks, but keep claiming they need to make a return on the investment

3. Not all new/expanded cark parks are being charged for

[plant43]

Should I, as a taxpayer, not be entitled to seek a return on investment? I'm not very familiar with what's happening at Sallins, but does Irish Rail pick up the tab for the access improvment works? Did the expanding of the car park require the procurement of extra land? Fair point about 3, I would prefer to see all car parks charged for equally.

[Mark Gleeson]

Thurles, Templemore not charged for

Fairly certain the expanded car park in Gormanston was done entirely on IE owned land. Its half empty

There is a DoT fund to pay for Park and Ride schemes, its there for the taking. Irish Rail are making it sound like they are paying for it and therefore need to recoup costs

The entire point of park and ride is to get someone out of their car and onto public transport. More people use public transport the lower the cost to the tax payer to provide it, less traffic

No one ever asks how a road will repay its captial costs, but public transport is forced to recoup every penny.

[BrianDeBruce]

Hi,

With regard to the new Sallins car park, as this is part of the Waterways development, is this under the control of the developer or Irish Rail? If it is the developer, are they under any obligation to charge the same price as Irish Rail or can they charge what they like?

Also,does anyone know when the charge kicks off, or when the underground opens?

Thanks,
Brian

[James_Lawless]

Hi James from NASRUG here.

There are 202 new spaces as part of the development.

There is a brand new underground car park part of the Waterways development and adjacent to station. The new carpark is looking good but the existing car parks not in great nick despite some work done recently. Need to chase up with IR in new year.

New underground section opened last weekend (15/16th Dec).

The charge is 5 euro for a 7-day ticket or 2 euro for a day pass.

There is no charge being applied until 31st December (we negotiated the waiver period to get it kicked off).

[Thomas J Stamp]

Nenagh car park has just been re-developed.

Nice big sign put up by Irish Rail at the enterance: Free Car Park.

Just so you'd know.

[dowlingm]

again - I have no problem with that. Nenagh services are not oversubscribed. When the car park is full start charging and funding a connecting bus from the proceeds. That's how this should work!

[NB1]

Originally Posted by dowlingm

again - I have no problem with that. Nenagh services are not oversubscribed. When the car park is full start charging and funding a connecting bus from the proceeds. That's how this should work!

Thats all very well in theory but if you look at Newbridge as an example IE are planning to introduce a fee for parking but no prospect of a bus service to feed the station. No matter how the pay parking is dressed up in is merely an exercise in generating further income !!!