Rush-hour motorists were warned today to plan ahead to avoid traffic disruption when private cars are banned from one of the capital's busiest streets.
Traffic chiefs believe diverting drivers away from Dublin's College Green from next Monday will open the city for business.
Some 60 million vehicles pass through the bottle neck each year, weaving around Trinity College and linking Dame Street and Westmoreland Street.
Planners said taking thousands of private cars off the road every Monday to Friday from 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm will ease congestion for public transport users and improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.
Dublin traffic corps Supt Frank Clerkin said motorists have a week to pick alternative routes, which are set out on www.transportfordublin.ie.
"We don't anticipate any traffic chaos on the morning,¿ said Supt Clerkin. "I would expect there might some a little bit of learning curve for some motorists. But by and large I wouldn't expect there will be a major problem."
Dublin City Council (DCC) estimates 12,883 cars use the College Green route each day, with almost 7,000 of these travelling at peak times.
From Monday only buses, taxis and cyclists will be able to travel through at rush hours. Weekend and daytime motorists will not be affected. Temporary electronic signage will be in place to direct drivers around the capital and into car parks, while sat nav systems will be updated.
Supt Clerkin said extra gardaí will be on duty, and motorists who flout the law face being hit with a €60 fine, that will increase to 90 euro after 28 days.
"For the first number of days the guards will use a certain amount of discretion, but that's not to say they won't be enforcing the bus lane regulations," Supt Clerkin said.
While transport, council and even shopping chiefs are backing the scheme, one car park owner is trying to challenge the move in the High Court.
But DCC said while there will be some disruption, it claimed orbital routes will not be clogged. It has vowed to carry out a full review of operations in six months.
Executive manager Tim Brick said traffic congestion, delays, disruption and safety issues for pedestrians have long been recognised as a major problems at College Green. "The benefit of the measure will be reliable and quicker journey times," he said.
"The key message here is that Dublin city will remain open for business."
Dublin Bus, which believes travel time will be cut from its routes, is marking the launch with a special city centre fare of 50 cent for passengers travelling between Parnell Square, St Stephen's green, Capel Street, and Customs House.
Conor Faughan, of AA Ireland, said the scheme should help all road users by making the city more efficient. "It improves things considerably for the bus service and should not prove too disruptive for cars," he added.
PA