COMMUTERS and traffic experts yesterday described Operation Freeflow, the scheme designed to prevent traffic congestion in Dublin, as a modest success.
Ms Lorraine Keane, spokeswoman for AA Roadwatch, said the scheme had helped traffic flow on Monday and Tuesday. However, she said "even this scheme cannot prevent snarl-ups during bad weather".
She said yesterday's traffic moved smoothly on normally congested streets like Pearse Street and South Great George's Street during most of the day, with fewer delays at rush hour.
However, the AA and many drivers said the traffic problems in the suburbs were unchanged. Others observed that drivers were finding ingenious ways to avoid being towed away or given a parking ticket.
One taxi-driver described the new scheme as "Operation Freeflow" because it had "only pushed the problem out to the suburbs". Other motorists claimed that some of the 96 extra gardai drafted in as part of the scheme were being "over-zealous".
In targeted streets yesterday, such as Dawson Street, there were still many cars and vans illegally parked. While many were unoccupied, the owners had left their lights flashing.
A traffic warden working on South King Street, where Mr Howlin inaugurated the scheme on Monday, said her colleagues were now referring to Dublin as "the city of the flashing lights".
Flashing hazard lights do not provide legal immunity from parking fines, a Garda spokesman pointed out.
Other wardens said they had never seen such competition to fit into loading areas before.
According to a garda working on Operation Freeflow, delivery men were now operating an early-warning system. This meant having one man sitting in a vehicle watching for traffic wardens: if they appeared he could quickly warn his colleagues.
All six Garda "lift and shift" tow trucks are involved in Operation Freeflow, along with 40 motorcycles and 50 foot patrols at any one time.
Mr John O'Brien, a taxi-driver for 15 years, said traffic was "moving slightly better" but the new scheme did not extend far enough from the city centre.
A bus-driver, Mr Frank Burke said: "As soon as I get into Rathmines this evening, I'll be sitting in traffic for ages. This new scheme won't change that."
Bus lanes remained clear on most of the targeted streets yesterday, and the extra provision of Garda traffic cones deterred motorists thinking of illegally parking, according to traffic wardens. Many traffic meters were covered up and not operational.
By 6 p.m. yesterday the normal evening congestion was reported even though the Garda traffic section had impounded 29 cars. Despite this the AA said there had "been an improvement". One car which was blocking a clearway on Kildare Street was moved within two minutes, said Ms Keane.