Heavy trucks to be banned from Dublin city

Dublin city councillors are set to ban heavy goods vehicles in the city centre during the day when the port tunnel opens next year. They also want speed limits reduced to 30 k.m.h. as part of a new traffic plan designed to take advantage of the "opportunity" presented by the opening of the tunnel.

Councillors have also proposed a ban on "over-height" HGVs or "supercube" trucks - which are too large to fit in the tunnel - from the Dublin City Council area at all times.

"If they're too big for the port tunnel, they're too big for the city centre," Progressive Democrats councillor Ms Wendy Hederman said yesterday. "Most other EU countries don't permit them in cities, so why should we?"

Wider footpaths and bus lanes, the elimination of one-way streets and a move away from potentially dangerous roundabouts and slip-roads are further proposed in amendments to the draft development plan for Dublin approved by the council.

Walking, cycling and public transport are given priority in the plan, which envisages new suburban rail stations at Parkwest and Ballyfermot as well as extensions of the Luas light rail system and the creation of a metro.

In a clear reference to the delays in delivering major transport projects, the amended plan says: "All Dubliners need modern transport infrastructure urgently, not when a particular minister deems it to be timely or appropriate or politically opportune.

"The present scenario whereby decisions and delivery mechanisms regarding new public transport infrastructure for the city is at the discretion of government ministers is disastrous for Dublin as the blatant deficiencies in the Kildare route project, the Luas saga and the Metro muddle demonstrates."

One of the most contentious proposals in the amended plan concerns the decision by councillors to prohibit development on land currently zoned for institutional use, unless the development comprises social and affordable housing.

Property interests have claimed the decision will drive development out of the city and into adjoining counties. Land owned by religious orders and currently valued at over €5 million an acre will suffer a drastic reduction in value if the proposal is implemented, they have said.

However, Ms Hederman said Dublin had sufficient amounts of residential-zoned land to meet housing needs during the lifetime of the plan, which would last until 2011. "You can put houses everywhere, but you also have to have space for schools and hospitals and recreational facilities."

Twelve out of the 15 zoning categories in the city permit housing, she added, and it was always open to religious orders to seek an appropriate rezoning if they wished to have their lands developed.

Written submissions or observations on the proposed amendments to the draft development plan must be made to the council by today's deadline. The plan will come into operation early next year.