Dublin `not in breach' of EU traffic directive

Dublin has little to fear from the EU Directive on Combined Traffic which would penalise cities without an adequate traffic management policy, an Oireachtas Committee was told yesterday.

Responding to questions from the chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs, Mr Bernard Durkan TD (FG, Kildare North), Mr Owen Keegan, the director of Traffic with Dublin Corporation, said the completion of the Dublin Port Tunnel - due in 2001 - and other measures meant Dublin had no great fears about EU fines.

Mr Keegan said serious difficulties being encountered as a result of ferry times which deliver lorries into the city centre at rush hours could be overcome with the port tunnel.

In answer to questions from Mr Ulick Burke TD (FG, Galway-East), Mr Keegan said that between 1990 and 1998 the number of "trade cars", light commercial vehicles, more than doubled from 55,000 to over 132,000.

Tourist cars had increased from 115,000 to 237,000 and roro freight from 102,000 units to 399,000 units - the latter almost a fourfold increase. Lolo (load on/ load off) figures had increased from 142,000 to 356,000.

Mr Keegan said the figures showed the nature of the problem was in freight and in this regard the Port Tunnel would have a massive impact in moving the freight traffic to the M50, relieving congestion in Dublin city centre.

Mr Christy O'Sullivan of Dublin Corporation said he felt the rising figure for car ownership was not part of the problem in itself. Cyclists owned cars but left them at home. It was the number of people bringing cars into the city which was part of the problem and he said the quality bus corridors had a vital role in getting people on to public transport.

Mr Pat Carey TD (FF, Dublin North-West) said there was a particular problem with deliveries to city centre shops and he wondered if these could not be restricted to the evenings in conjunction with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

He also cited Dublin Corporation's bins and cleansing machinery, which contributed to congestion.

Mr Sean Haughey TD (FF, Dublin North-Central) said a lot of goodwill from motorists had been lost when quality bus corridors forced them off the road before improvements in public transport were made.

In response to questions, Mr Keegan said that between 1991 and 1997 private car numbers had risen from 172,000 to 250,000 and would be at 302,000 by 2001. "It will have basically doubled in 10 years when transport infrastructure was basically undeveloped," he commented.

Mr Keegan also commented that in the recent past there were only two telecom firms who had a statutory right to dig up the road to lay infrastructural cables - there were now 42 licensed companies engaging in such behaviour in the city.