Many younger people in Ireland nowadays think that public transport is for the poor, foreign workers, and the old. Or, as some of them put it, for losers.
But perhaps the consequences of this attitude are coming home to roost. David McWilliams, writing about a recent experience which combined the worst of private and public transport, makes a few very interesting points, most notably

…this little story of everyday hassle in Ireland underscores the real inflation in our economy. We are stretched to the limits of our capacity. Inflation is not just a monetary phenomenon, it rears its head when there is far too much demand and not enough supply.

Earlier in the article he writes

The economic inefficiencies created by poor infrastructure are enormous. The hours wasted, the environmental damage, the overtime charges - these costs must run into billions per week.

That’s right: billions. Per week.

In a previous entry, Transported, I quoted the Dublin Chamber of Commerce as estimating the cost of bad transport infrastructure in Dublin as at €3 billion per year, which is about the current costing of the proposed metro. But if, as McWilliams guesses, that it runs into billions per week for the country as a whole, then that would make a free, efficient transport infrastructure a very real bargain indeed.

It’s a classic example of Holistic Accounting

Comments, anyone?

David McWilliams The Road to Nowhere Sunday Business Post