The team charged with establishing the new transport authority for the Greater Dublin area has been announced. The team will finalise the structures of the new authority.
It will be chaired by Professor Margaret O'Mahoney, from Trinity College Dublin. Professor O'Mahoney is Head of the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Centre for Transport Research at Trinity College.
Opposition parties have welcomed her appointment but said the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, should have set up a transport authority for the capital five years ago.
As part of Transport 21, extensive plans have been announced for Dublin, including a new Metro, extending the LUAS, more DART lines and suburban trains.
There is a clear concern, however, that unless there is a powerful executive body to drive things forward, inter-agency rivalry in the transport sector will lead to delays and cost-over runs.
Mr Cullen has requested that Prof O’Mahony report back on its the structure, powers and membership within months.
