Thirty more garda∅ have been drafted in to augment the extra 100 already on Dublin streets as part of Operation Freeflow, the Dublin Transportation Office announced yesterday.
Acknowledging that last week's launch suffered from "a combination of events", namely the two inches of rain that fell in the city within a matter of hours, a broken gas main and sales in Grafton Street, the DTO said traffic movements in the city centre were improving rapidly in the run up to Christmas.
The fact that the situation had improved so noticeably since the launch was, according to DTO director Mr John Henry, "proof of the underlying contribution" of the operation and its success in previous years.
Freeflow would "work well" and while it would feature its usual ban on all non-essential roadworks in the city centre, the DTO stressed the importance of people using the expanded public transport services, particularly for socialising.
One of the main elements of Operation Freeflow this year was an additional 100 garda∅ on the streets, and since the launch "about 30" extra gardai had been drafted in to keep traffic moving. This involves at least 134 Garda foot patrols over a 12-hour period, as well as 48 motorcycle patrols, 10 patrol cars, two tow wagons and corporation parking enforcers.
There will also be 5,000 extra Nitelink services carrying up to a quarter of a million people over the Christmas period. Services will run to 4.30 a.m. There will also be more buses in operation and enhanced services on nine quality bus corridors.
DART and suburban rail timetables will be extended. The last DART will leave the city centre at 3 a.m. and special low-cost fares will apply.
Existing park-and-ride facilities will be available as usual, while taxi numbers have more than doubled since last year to more than 7,000.
The DTO said Operation Freeflow had never covered the approach roads to the city, or road works in the suburbs.