FOLLOWING weeks of heated debate, both in the chambers of Limerick City and County Council and on the very streets in question, it has been confirmed that the bus lane on O’Connell Street in Limerick City will remain fully open for Christmas.
The decision comes following a motion at a recent meeting of Limerick City and County Council, and following a presentation from city traders, to partially close the bus lane on the city’s main thoroughfare over the Christmas period to help local businesses who are “facing huge challenges”.
Following the motion, Mayor John Moran put the question to the people of Limerick before making an executive decision to keep the lane open and unchanged over the festive period.
The Mayor added, however, that he has “never been happy with the current configuration of O’Connell Street” and that a reversal of the decision or a new transport plan for the busy city thoroughfare may crop up in 2025.
The current bus lane was installed by the Council in 2022 and, according to a statement from the Mayor, 2,853 people voted in the Mayor’s recent poll to maintain it in its current standing over Christmas – versus 1,140 against.
The poll was held both online and through email submissions, and closed on December 11.
Mayor Moran said he had examined Council policy, submissions from Bus Éireann and the NTA, and, following the recent poll, he could not “justify the pilot (change) requested at this time”.
“It is important that decisions made for Limerick are supportive of national policy and local policy, as expressed in the Limerick Development Plan, which ask us to facilitate not deter moves towards sustainable travel,” he said.
Mayor Moran said that he realised that “this decision will not please everyone”, and said that “I am very open, in early 2025, to receive additional evidence from those in favour of changes to the existing schema”
“I have never been happy with the current configuration of O’Connell Street. At the time of my election, I committed to changes and prioritised since then the advancement of a new comprehensive mobility strategy for our city centre,” he said.
“This needs to take into account the interests and safety of all stakeholders, traders, residents, visitors, and others who use our city centre.”
