Dublin Bus calls for less parking and higher charges in city

Dublin Bus has appealed for a reduction in available parking in Dublin city, an increase in the costs associated with parking and the introduction of a congestion charge as part of plans to get people out of private cars.

The transport operator has outlined the proposals to Dublin City Council in its submission to the city's development plan.

It noted Central Statistics Office estimates that the population in the Dublin region would grow 31.9 per cent by 2036, to 1.76 million.

“This massive increase in population will have a significant impact on housing provision and transport capacity across the city,” it said. “Old orthodoxies need to be reconsidered and re-evaluated in the context of sustainable urban development.

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“New housing developments do not need enough car parking spaces to provide each household with the capacity to park a car. Housing should encourage the use of the local public transport links, which should be invested in to ensure there is sufficient capacity and frequency to handle this increased demand.

“If we do not take these steps, we will inevitably see congestion get worse, commute times get longer, and emissions rise in line with population growth.”

It said the proximity of public transport links should be a “primary consideration” in any housing development project.

“These developments should be created to ensure that sustainable modes will be prioritised,” it said. “As such, cycle tracks, adequate footpath space and a low level of car parking space availability should be standard in any place-making project.”

Park and ride

It also called for a park-and-ride form of integrated transport that allows private transport users to park their vehicles at a large car park and travel into the city centre using a public transport mode.

“The vast majority of park-and-ride sites are situated outside the urban areas of city centres and are designed to relieve road congestion along the roads leading into and located within the city centre itself,” it said.

“Whilst bus, coach, light rail or suburban train could all provide the public transport services at park-and-ride sites, in the large majority of cases these services are provided by dedicated bus services.

“To ensure these facilities are used, they should be implemented alongside other demand management measures such as increased parking costs in the city, a reduction in available parking in the city, a congestion charge, low-emissions zones etc.

“These measures will increase the costs associated with private car use and make public transport the more attractive option.”

Dublin Bus also called for a system that allows commuters to use contactless cards, mobile phones, and wearables such as the Apple Watch to pay for public transport.

Furthermore, it said a one-size-fits-all app should be developed that combines the services offered by all available transport providers and allows customers to plan and pay for their personalised end-to-end multi-modal journey.