Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022
153. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Transport if he has assessed the potential to move travel requirements to a service model by using sharing platforms, vehicle sharing and ride sharing; and if he will consider providing a fund to stimulate innovation in this area. [20999/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraShared mobility has a role to play in changing how we think about our daily travel and facilitating that change. We already have successful examples here in Ireland both in terms of shared car schemes and shared bike schemes which operate across the country, mainly in the five cities. In relation to shared car schemes specifically, these are principally market-driven initiatives which are supported by local authorities through a variety of means such as access to on-street parking.
I published the National Sustainable Mobility Policy on 7 April 2022. The policy sets out a strategic framework to 2030 for active travel (walking and cycling) and public transport journeys to help Ireland meet its climate obligations. My Department developed this policy over a number of years engaging in robust sectorial research and stakeholder engagement. One of the emerging themes from this process was the concept of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) as a tool to encourage modal shift by offering customised information and integrated transport for users.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) is actively developing a number of projects to enable a MaaS system in Ireland including Next Generation Ticketing, Automated Vehicle Location and an upgraded National Journey Planner app. Under Action 82 of the National Sustainable Mobility Policy, the NTA has committed to publishing a governance framework on the implementation and operation of MaaS in Ireland to encompass all transport modes nationally by 2024.
