Rush hour car numbers fall

THE NUMBER of private cars coming into the city during the morning rush hour has fallen by 14 per cent over the past 10 years, according to new figures from Dublin City Council.

Despite a belief that congestion has become more acute, the council's data shows that 10,200 fewer cars came into the city centre last year compared with 1997.

The survey was based on a count held at 33 access points into the city last November, and shows that, on average, 63,269 cars entered the city between 7am and 10am last year. This was an increase of some 780 cars when compared with the same period in 2006.

The opening of the Dublin Port Tunnel and the ban on heavy goods vehicles from the city centre saw the number of goods vehicles coming into the city fall by over one-third. Last year 1,445 goods vehicles came into the city during the morning rush hour, a fall of 37 per cent compared with 2006.

The survey also found that the number of buses entering the city increased 18 per cent, from 1,459 to 1,740 last year, with part of this increase down to private buses.

Between 2002 and 2007, Dublin Bus vehicles accounted for 80 per cent on average of all buses entering the city, and showed a 5 per cent increase over the period.

Over the same period the number of privately-owned buses coming into the capital increased by 31 per cent.

The popularity of motorbikes for commuting continues to grow, with the number entering up just over one-third to 2,429 over the past 10 years.

Last year also saw a rise in the popularity of cycling with 837 more cyclists, or over 17 per cent, coming into the city. However, over the past 10 years the numbers cycling to work has risen by just 1 per cent to 5,676.

A more appealing option appears to be walking, with a 9 per cent increase in the number of pedestrians coming into the city. Last year almost 18,600 people walked over the canals, an increase of 11.5 per cent over the past 10 years.