Public transport journey times have been shortened by over 20 per cent on routes along Dublin city’s quays, the Lord Mayor said on Tuesday.
James Geoghegan chaired the first meeting of a working group established to monitor the impact of changes included in the Dublin City Transport Plan, a substantial reworking of traffic management in the capital.
Mr Geoghegan also said that, according to Dublin Town, the business representative body which has footfall counters throughout the city, pedestrian activity also increased in September, coinciding with the introduction of the traffic plan.
“We heard from the NTA (National Transport Authority), who indicated that their data shows public transport journey times have reduced by over 20 per cent on routes which include the North and South quays,” he said in a statement.
The NTA is also said to be exploring a proposal whereby drivers with disabilities might be able to access routes restricted by bus-gates.
The transport plan, designed to tackle the city’s traffic congestion, was implemented in August despite attempts by some city business interests to have it delayed.
Its initial stage involved daytime restrictions on private traffic moving east and west along the Liffey quays at O’Connell Bridge.
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The strategy had met with resistance, notably from the Dublin City Centre Traders Alliance, a group which includes retailers Brown Thomas Arnotts, a number of car park owners and other businesses.
Following intervention from the Minister of State for Enterprise Emer Higgins, Dublin City Council agreed to consider an economic impact analysis of the plan. While that estimated a loss of €141 million in consumer spending by 2028 due to the proposed traffic restrictions, many felt the report was based on flawed assumptions about the usage of cars for shopping and associated spending of motorists.
On Tuesday, the Lord Mayor said the focus will now move to getting more people into the city in the run-up to Christmas.
“We committed to ensuring that this [working group] is the vehicle for ongoing and future engagement with all affected stakeholders as transport plans for the city evolve,” he said.
