The Minister for Transport, Mr Seamus Brennan, said he would not rule out road pricing if other initiatives to improve traffic congestion do not work.
The Minister was speaking at the opening of the two-day Traffic and Transportation Conference at the Mansion house in Dublin today.
Mr Brennan said he would look at the issues of charging if attempts to get more people using public transport failed.
He also said he has plans to introduce more regulations to govern driving instructors in an effort to improve road safety.
The conference is being hosted by Dublin City Council in association with the Department of Transport, the National Road Authority and Trinity College and features exhibits of including Integrated Transport Systems - computer, sensor electronics and communications - designed to modernise traffic flow.