High-level group formed to help solve 's traffic congestion

A high-level group to help solve traffic congestion in Dublin is to be launched by Minister for State at the Department of Transport Ivor Callely this morning.

The group, which will include business interests, representatives of Dublin City Council, the Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) and the main public transport providers, will meet in Clontarf Castle.

It is to be known as the Clare Street Initiative or CSI after the Clare Street office of the Minister and it is expected to host an inaugural conference of transport chiefs in Dublin later this month.

CSI is to be closely modelled on a similar initiative which eased traffic congestion in Munich. Signed between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Munich and Upper Bavaria, BMW, Siemens and Munich City Council, that agreement was credited with significantly easing congestion in the German city.

Mr Callely, who travelled to Munich earlier this year, is keen to find out if solutions applied in Germany can work in Dublin. Siemens, BMW and the German-Irish Chamber of Commerce have assured Mr Callely of their co-operation with his new initiative.

The chamber is concerned that congestion is leading to lost working hours as employees are spending increasing amounts of time stuck in traffic.

Mr Callely will chair the first meeting of the CSI this morning. Speakers will include secretary general of the Department of Transport Julie O'Neill, Dublin businessman Louis Copeland, representatives from the office of the director of traffic at Dublin City Council and John Henry of the Dublin Transportation Office. Members of CIÉ and the Railway Procurement Agency will also contribute.

The initiative comes as the Department of Transport is attempting to reach agreement with the Department of Finance on a 10-year strategic transport plan, which Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said would replace the transport elements of the current National Development Plan in 2007.

Mr Callely has already said he is "ambitious and enthusiastic" to see a number of Dublin projects, particularly in the area of public transport, included in the 10-year strategy.

These include a network of park-and-ride sites within 10km of the city centre, the proposed eastern bypass of Dublin, an airport rail link and a rail interconnector linking Connolly, Pearse and Heuston Stations.

He also wants the proposed upgrade of the M50 to include non-stop links for lorries using the Port Tunnel and a traffic-light-free junction at the Red Cow interchange. Previous plans had included at least one set of traffic lights at the interchange.

Mr Callely also wants Luas extensions to Swords, Cabinteely, Citywest and the docklands and a city centre link between the two Luas lines. He also wants better progress on integrated ticketing .

Mr Callely was told by Dr Manfred Rothkopf of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Munich and Upper Bavaria, when he was in Germany, that 10 years ago traffic congestion in Munich was at Dublin levels now.

However, under the terms of that city's initiative, know as the Inzell initiative, a solution based largely on public transport was put forward .

The solution involved new traffic systems, 28 park-and-ride sites, each with capacity for 1,000 cars, new regional and local rail tracks and a "blue zone" in the city centre where council garages were built to house residents' cars free. It also involved park-and-ride sites with security on the outskirts of Munich.

The sites were subsidised by the city and car-owners were charged about €75 annually.