College Green car ban to begin on Monday

PRIVATE MOTORISTS will be unable to pass through College Green in Dublin during peak times from Monday as a new bus corridor comes into effect.

The College Green bus corridor will operate between the hours of 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm Monday through Friday and only public transport vehicles and bicycles will be permitted to travel through it.

Outside of those hours private motorists can access College Green as normal.

The aim of the corridor is to reduce journey times for cross-city public transport as well as increasing reliability and frequency.

Motorists approaching the area from Dame Street will be forced to make a U-turn at the taxi rank outside the Bank of Ireland while those approaching from D’Olier Street will be redirected up Westmoreland Street towards O’Connell Bridge.

Access to local car parks will not be affected.

Gardaí from traffic units at Dublin Castle, Pearse Street and Store Street stations will be on duty at the corridor and along approach routes for the initial two weeks to ensure motorists comply with the new layout.

The Garda Air Support unit will also be deployed to monitor traffic in the area and across the city during the implementation phase for the new bus corridor.

Motorists who drive through the corridor during peak times face a €60 fine, increasing to €90 if not paid within 28 days, as per the Road Traffic Act 1997.

Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid appealed to motorists to “familiarise themselves with the new bus corridor and plan their journeys accordingly”. Gardaí have been instructed to exercise “discretion and caution where possible” when dealing with offences during the first three days.

Dublin City Council has put temporary signs in place and further details about alternative routes are available on www.transportfordublin.ie.

To coincide with the launch Dublin Bus will charge passengers a special city centre fare of 50 cent from Monday.

The fare will link the main shopping and business areas, according to Dublin Bus.

“Customers will now be able to travel in and around the city centre – for example between St Stephen’s Green and Henry Street on Route 10 or from O’Connell Street to Merrion Square on Route 7 for just 50 cent,” it said.

A leaflet and more information about the most frequent connections between the areas where the fare will be valid is available on www.dublinbus.ie