Plans to end bus-gate row put to councillors

PROPOSALS BY Dublin City management to end the dispute over the bus gate in Dublin’s College Green are being e-mailed to members…

PROPOSALS BY Dublin City management to end the dispute over the bus gate in Dublin’s College Green are being e-mailed to members of Dublin City Council today.

The council confirmed last night that city manager John Tierney had put proposals to the leaders of the council members’ political groups yesterday, in a bid to end the dispute that traders claim has led to a 30 per cent reduction in business since July.

The council administration refused to comment on the details of the proposals last night in advance of the details being circulated to ordinary members. But political group leaders said it involves a two-month suspension of the bus gate from November 18th to January 15th, to cover the Christmas shopping period and January sales.

Additional aspects of the proposals include the designation of up to 15,000 on-street parking spaces as free parking, from 2pm on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Some on-street parking spaces are already free on Sundays. A further aspect of the plan is to postpone the six-month review of the bus gate, which was to have taken place at the end of January, until next June.

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist