Gridlock costs city €2.5bn a year, says chamber

Dublin Chamber of Commerce has estimated that congestion in the capital is currently costing the city €2.5 billion a year.

The chamber said at least €20 billion is required for transport investment in the city over the next ten years.

It has also emerged that cars are to be charged up to €12 to use the Dublin Port Tunnel to discourage motorists from using it to commute to the city at peak times.

The chamber believes that "at best only one-third of the transport plans for Dublin outlined by the Dublin Transportation Office in their Platform for Change document have been implemented and the 2005 cost of implementing the remainder is estimated to be in the region of €20 billion".

This includes the Dublin airport metro, the Iarnród Éireann interconnector between Connolly and Heuston stations and the Eastern Bypass. The chamber is concerned that the transport package proposed by Minister for Transport Martin Cullen is reportedly €20 billion, spread over ten years for the whole country.

Aebhric McGibney, the chamber's director of policy, said the organisation was calling on the Government to ensure the next National Development Plan and the forthcoming 10-year Transport Plan provides for the full implementation of the Platform for Change programme. "Without the proper infrastructure, congestion costs in the Greater Dublin Area are running at €2.5 billion per annum and rising," he said.

The National Roads Authority also confirmed yesterday that it is to seek an increase in the proposed toll charge for cars using the Dublin Port Tunnel.

Michael Egan, NRA corporate affairs director, said while lorries were to be allowed to use the tunnel free of charge, cars would be charged heavily, with a higher charge at peak times, to discourage motorists from using it to commute to the city centre.