Today’s news that the Galway Ring Road has been granted approval by An Comisiún Pleanála must mark an end to delays to other transport solutions in Galway City, according to Social Democrats Galway West by-election candidate Míde Nic Fhionnlaoich.
Míde said:
“The news of the ring road approval should mean that shovel-ready transport projects we have seen paused are finally allowed to proceed.
“The Department of Transport’s own reports cited public and active transport infrastructure as the key to reducing congestion in Galway, which is set to reach its peak in 2030.
“If we want to avoid that we need to implement public and active travel projects like BusConnects now – any further delays will contribute to worse traffic congestion across the city.
“These vital projects have already been significantly delayed despite being necessary whether or not the ring road got approval. We can’t allow them to continue to rot on a shelf.
“I’m calling on the Minister for Transport to immediately begin the rollout of these projects to make a palpable difference to congestion in Galway.
“The cost of the Ring Road project remains extremely high, especially in relation to the level of impact it will have on traffic. We must expand public transport options, such as the development of a light rail, if we want to get to grips with the level of congestion this city suffers from.”
April 9th, 2026