Thomil's Random Ramblings

Whatever else you may say about this particular blog post, you can’t accuse me of rushing things! I started on the notes for this particular piece back in August, just after the big news had broken: TFI Bikes in their current form was due to be wound down, and due to be replaced by a new system. Not just in Cork, but in Galway, Limerick, and Waterford as well. The press release from the government was a masterpiece in using a lot of words to say nothing, something that both the civil service and successive Irish governments have turned into an art form. It talked about replacing the system with a selection of “shared mobility services”, and that separate contracts would be awarded for the different cities. That was all, no timeframe was given, and neither was any indication of what the government or National Transport Authority was looking for. To add insult to injury, an op-ed in the Irish Examiner that can only be described as a hit piece gleefully gloated about the upcoming loss o...