The plan to shut off part of Dublin’s city centre to cars will not lead to a “sufficient improvement” in public transport services and may disrupt the commercial life of the area, the Automobile Association has warned.
Dublin City Council’s bus gate plan would see a public-transport-only route from Dame Street across College Green to Westmoreland Street coming into force from July.
A similar restriction would be in place for private traffic coming in the opposite direction, from D’Olier Street around College Green and into Dame Street.
But AA’s director of policy Conor Faughnan said today the plan to ban general traffic around College Green will have a limited affect on motorists as few private cars still use the area because of existing restrictions on O’Connell Street and Georges Street.
Mr Faughnan said the congestion in the College Green area is primarily caused by buses as 60 per cent of Dublin Bus passengers commuting across the Greater Dublin Area travel through O’Connell Street to College Green.
“The congestion in the College Green area seems to be dominated by buses and I am not convinced that enough planning or work has been done to minimise it,” he said.
“There would be a significant effect on the numbers of shoppers using the car parks with a consequent cost to local traders who are very concerned about it. Clearly we do not wish to do economic damage to the city,” he said.
The plan will also be affected by the construction of both the Luas extension and the construction of Metro North, he added.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey and Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan are understood to strongly favour the plan and have expressed impatience with the city council on the progress of the restrictions.
But business groups such as the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Dublin City Business Association claim the plan will be detrimental to the Dublin economy.