Whitmore repeats call for coastal link from Arklow to Greystones for summer months

This is the fifth year in a row that Deputy Whitmore has campaigned for a sustainable route to access Wicklow’s beautiful beaches, which she says will go a long way to help alleviate traffic congestion and provide better access to coastal amenities for the public.

“I raised the coastal link between Arklow and Greystones today with the Minister today and asked him to explain why funding has not been made available to facilitate this transport link, given that similar funding was found for Wexford to Curracloe seasonal local link,” Deputy Whitmore said.

“Brittas Bay and the surrounding beaches experience far more visits during the summer months than Curracloe does, which results in complete gridlock for the area.

“Our beaches in Wicklow are fantastic amenities that are visited by locals and tourists in their droves during the summer months. Currently the transport infrastructure is wholly inadequate to cater to the huge number of people flocking to our coasts on the weekends.

“Every year this leads to huge traffic congestion, a diversion of garda traffic management resources, roads turning into car parks, and a block in access to emergency services. This is completely unsustainable and can be prevented for the Summer of 2023 if the NTA answer my call.

“If nothing is done to address the lack of transport infrastructure on Wicklow’s coastline, the yearly pattern of traffic congestion will continue. This means that locals, once again will be unable to leave their homes and emergency services will not be able to reach people to provide urgent care in the area.

“I am repeating my call for a seasonal Local Link bus route like the one in Wexford to Curracloe in the first instance, to be set up from Arklow to Greystones taking in stops along the route to include the popular beaches like Brittas Bay, Magheramore and Ennereilly. This local link route up and down the coast will cater for a massive amount of people who want to visit the area.

“Bus drivers normally assigned to school routes could be re-deployed for the summer months on the local link. A local link for the area will address our over-dependency on cars, it just makes sense.

“People would be able to access public transport, therefore getting them out of their cars, locals have the peace of using the roads to and from their homes, emergency services would have unimpeded access to provide care.

“If Wexford can get funding for such a service then questions need to be asked as to why Wicklow cannot get a similar service especially as Brittas Bay is a much more popular beach than Curracloe.”