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SO CALLED ‘MOBILITY Hubs’ will be rolled out across three Irish cities next year, where people will be able to share access to bikes and electric cars.
While the three cities have not yet been confirmed, Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan said he expects they will be operational by the end of next year.
The project began two years ago with a pilot hub in Finglas where a car and bike sharing station was installed.
“We’re going to go big on these,” Ryan told reporters at a roundtable interview.
The hubs will cost approximately €40mn, with this funding drawn down from the Climate Fund announced as part of this year’s Budget.
In total, 200 hubs are planned for across the country.
The Minister explained that the rationale behind the hubs is to reduce the number of cars on the road and give people living in urban areas access to electric vehicles as they may otherwise be unable to own their own due to lack of charging infrastructure.
The scheme will be administered through local authorities.
“The real challenge is the grid connection, having a good charging infrastructure. So it will be up to the local authorities to find similar spots [to the one in Finglas],” Ryan said.
“My own area outside Rathmines swimming pool there, you’ve got a front courtyard area that you could put aside as public parking – half a dozen cars, so that would be really significant,” he added.
Electric vehicles
Elsewhere, Ryan said he expects the government to hit its target for electric car sales by the end of 2025.
“Electric vehicle sales are up 45% up year-on-year. We will have, by the end of this year 110,000 electric vehicles on the road.
“Our target for the end of [20]25 is 195,000. So the way things are going we’re going to exceed that.
“The sales are just going to take off because every supplier is coming in and the price is going to come down so that’s not going to be a challenging target. We’re going to exceed it,” he said.
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And how long before these hubs are sold to a private business like.the tolls and run for huge profits??. Oh I’m sorry are we supposed to clap and cheer for this, or just realise it’s gonna end up being another political stunt in the name of green virtue signalling which you can bet will end up costing the taxpayers double or triple what it should.
@Cst2eu: People won’t use them. They will be worthless.
@David Corrigan: if they’re used correctly it could be excellent. I have, however, little expectation it will function properly and as mentioned, possibly sold to private enterprise which will simply be an additional cost for Joe Soap. A pity, as in theory it’s quite clever.
@David Corrigan: Results of the trial in Finglas suggest otherwise
@SYaxJ2Ts: It exists since very long time in France and it works very well in the country side. But Irish may be too dumb for it, specially in welfare land in Finglas.
@Cst2eu:
Be it state owned (and funded by carbon taxes) or private run you will be paying for it.
@BanIslam.: where do I start? I guess with your monumental snobbery towards the good people of Finglas – the scheme has already successfully trialled there. Bike rental schemes have been a roaring success in Ireland – I seem to remember similar snide comments about Irish people when that scheme was trialled.
Will they also provide security at these hubs which will become a hotbed for car thefts and break ins?
@Carl Campbell: I think the idea is basically that the hub will have lots of GoCar-type short-term rental cars available, sort of like the car equivalent of a Dublin Bike stand. You don’t own the cars and only use them to travel to another hub so wouldn’t be leaving any belongings in them. There would therefore be no point stealing or breaking into the cars.
@Carl Campbell: Jheez, how do you even leave the house Carl?… Your ‘concerns’ should never be a reason to not do something.
Only 2 yrs ago during covid, ( a virus they still tell us is very much around) we were told not to share anything with anybody…to clean everything as much as possible , never shake hands again, keep as much distance as possible from vunerable people and to try as best we can to continue some of these practices going foward after covid to maintain healthy living standards and stop spread of every day colds and virus.
Now its ok to share cars with strangers.
@Sean Brannigan: eh….have you used buses/trams/dart/taxis or even been in a shop/workplace etc in the last two years??? Of course you have. Heard of the covid vaccine??!!
@Sean Brannigan: Stay home Sean and STFU will you?
If you don’t own a car and want access to one it’s already there it’s called a TAXI. And it doesn’t cost 40 million. Talk about green washing.
Any chance of a public bus service that’s fit for purpose?
Just make them at least 50 percent cheaper than the real one… That’s a toy for the middle management and the rich, having their diesel ready when going to holidays. They are not selling hybrid or electric cars, they are selling financial solution as no one can afford them. Remind me the waiting time between refills ? Laughable
Big fkn cabbage features, FOAD
I’m stuck in house for Christmas because I’m waiting for hse management to say it’s OK to pay for an electric wheelchair so I can have a degree of social mobility (go to shop)…i have given up fighting them,explaining/quais begging.. I can’t explain the shame I feel trying to get people to understand . The irony of mobility hubs as they crush disabled people into silence isn’t lost on me. Merry Christmas all, I’m alive and that’s what matters to me.
Earth was safer when Covid was rampant.
Instead of ploughing money into stupid nonsensical make and do projects, buses are not the answer. Come up with a national plan for trains, take us into the modern world!
Hydrogen cometh.
@Thesaltyurchin:
Don’t hold your breath.
@P.J. Nolan: The head of Porsche seems to think it ‘will destroy the EV market’
Lol
How about just if putting in more charging points. Park and ride near me has 20/30 assigned spaces for electric cars 2 Chargers
have your say