Reported petrol price rise in Budget won't push people to use public transport, says AA
The AA does not believe reports of plans to increase petrol and diesel prices by 2 cent per litre are environmentally friendly measures.
The hike would see the cost of filling the tank go up by around €1.20, according to the Irish Independent.
It is reported to be part of new carbon measures to be announced by Paschal Donohoe in next week's Budget.
The AA's Conor Faughnan does not think the measure encourages people to use public transport, because the services are not good enough.
Mr Faughnan said: "In central Dublin for example, the public transport capacity to take half, literally half, of the commuters. For the other half, there isn't space for them with all the public transport assets that we have.
"So people have to do other things, there are people on the M50 right now shouting at the radio, they don't want to be in a road traffic jam on the M50, if they could do something else, they would.
"In urban Ireland, for example, encouraging people to use it (public transport) is not the problem, every piece of public transport that we provide right now is stuffed full to the gills.
"It's not as if you've got car snobs refusing to jump on the Luas, the Luas is packed, if you provide alternatives, people will take them."
