HGV ban has made Dublin 'truck-free'

Dublin city centre is virtually truck-free since the HGV ban was imposed on the capital last month, forcing the majority of heavy traffic into the newly constructed Port Tunnel.

According to figures compiled by Dublin City Council for the week following the introduction of the ban on February 19th, an average of 42 trucks were issued with permits to pass through the city centre cordon daily.

Despite heavy criticism of the decision to restrict the height of the tunnel to 4.65 metres, an average of only 26 of these were so-called over-height or "super cube" trucks.

An average of eight wide-load trucks and eight trucks carrying goods restricted from entering the tunnel, were granted permits to pass through the capital, according to the Dublin City Council data.

The figures also show an average of 247 trucks per day were issued with permits to enter the cordon area to deliver or collect goods from shops in the week after the HGV ban was put in place. The busiest day of the week was Tuesday, when 360 trucks were given load/unload permits for the city centre, while the least busy day was Saturday, when only 52 trucks were given such permits.

Delivery trucks are allowed to make up to five stops once inside the cordon, but the figures show that about 40 per cent make only one stop at city centre shops. Delivery permits are free until May, from when they will cost truckers €5 per permit.

Since February 19th, trucks with five axles or more have been prohibited from passing through the city centre cordon, roughly bounded by the two canals. Delivery trucks, over-height or wide-load trucks too big for the tunnel and those carrying restricted goods are allowed to enter the cordon on a permit basis.

Trucks entering the cordon without a permit face a fine of €800 for a first offence, €1,500 for a second offence within 12 months, and €1,500 and possible imprisonment for a third offence. Superintendent Frank Clerkin of the Dublin Traffic Division told The Irish Times that 20 drivers faced prosecution in court after being caught in the city centre without permits.

He said, however, there had been "large compliance" with the new rules and there was a "very small percentage" without permits.

"Our strategy is not only to stop them, but then make them turn around and bring them back down the quays out of the cordon," he said.

He added that the Garda hoped to introduce a reduced on-the-spot fine system for offenders in an effort to fast-track prosecutions and avoid gardaí having to spend long periods in court giving evidence. The system will generally work in the same way that speeding fines are handed out to motorists, although there will be no penalty points for breaching permit rules.

"It will speed up the process. At the moment we have to process the summons in court," said Supt Clerkin.