Bus lanes the missing piece for Park & Ride

As things stand, it is 'just for Christmas’ but the Park and Ride service from Ballybrit Racecourse to the city centre could be the road ahead for many hundreds of commuters like myself who make the daily trek to and from town every working day.My normal routine on the morning part of my 15 mile journey from Abbeyknockmoy, involves a cross-country drive through places like Knockdoe, Cregg, Cloonboo and Monument Road before reaching the target of the Dyke Road carpark around the nine o’clock mark.The slightly circuitous route has the obvious advantage of eradicating the 'Claregalway affair’ from the journey, and in the evening, the Dyke Road also offers a ready escape through the 'back woods’ giving a realistic journey home time of about 35 to 40 minutes.Last Tuesday morning, following a late night 'date’ with the City Council, my arrival time in the city was a bit later than usual, around 10am, which ruled out the Dyke Road option – as a rule of thumb, 9.30 is the absolute cutoff point for getting a space.The Racecourse carpark scores a straight ten out of ten for location for motorists coming from the East and the first impressions of the service...