Minister of State for Transport Jack Chambers TD has told the TRA 2024 conference in Dublin that his department is committed to trimming road deaths in Ireland, which have seen a significant spike in the past 12 months.
Congestion and accidents
Chambers made his remarks during the closing session of the Transport Research Arena 2024, or TRA, which was held this week at the RDS in Dublin. The conference tries to bring together road transport and safety experts and innovators to try to come up with better solutions to the problems of congestion and accidents.
In his keynote address at the end of the conference, Chambers noted the discussions in the European Road Safety Conference, which took place as part of TRA 2024, during which it was discussed that many countries around the world are currently struggling with similar issues.
Safer for all users
“It has been an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking period on Irish roads with the loss of so many lives - and particularly so many young lives. I as Minister, and the Government as a whole, is committed to halting this trend,” said Chambers. “Following the engagements this week, I am more determined and confident that working in collaboration with colleagues from across governments, enterprise. enforcement and academia we can help ensure our roads become safer for all users in the period ahead.”
So far this year, 60 people have been killed in incidents on Irish roads, an unpleasant increase compared to recent years.
50 countries represented
The conference brought together Irish and international academics, policymakers, and industry leaders in Dublin to discuss the newest innovations and the future of transport and mobility. More than 50 countries were represented in panel and keynote addresses, and over 100 scientific and technical presentation sessions were staged.
National Contact Point for Mobility in Horizon Europe Dr Bob Flynn believes these have been a highlight of TRA: “Having the opportunity to engage with senior policymakers and academia on a face to face basis is one of the most valuable features of Transport Research Arena. This has been a golden opportunity for enterprise and researchers to further develop their visions of the future of mobility.”
The European Commission and Ireland’s Department of Transport co-hosted this year's conference. The next TRA conference will be held in Budapest in 2026.