Vehicle ban in parts of Dublin on Car Free Day

Vehicles are to be banned in parts of Dublin's central business district as part of Car Free Day, Dublin City Council will announce this morning.

The resurgence of Car Free Day with increased road closures and family-friendly events comes after interest in the events was expressed by Minister for the Environment John Gormley.

This year's Car Free Day will be held on Saturday, September 22nd, when Parnell Square East, Merrion Square West and the main road through Herbert Park, Donnybrook, will be closed to vehicles from early morning until teatime.

The roads will be used by the council to run family events. It is understood that opera and gypsy performances are to be held outside the Hugh Lane Gallery on Parnell Square, followed by workshops, public tours of the gallery and entertainment for children.

Motorists will be encouraged to leave their cars at home and try out public transport options, bringing family members with them to spend time in the city centre.

Ecocabs will be used to transport people across the city, and at Merrion Square there will be bouncy castles and displays of extreme sports such as BMX biking, skateboarding and even breakdancing.

Herbert Park is to be the venue for a remembrance of the Edwardian Great Exhibition of 1907, featuring period costumes and puppet shows.

Car free days have been run in cities throughout the world on an ad-hoc basis since the oil crisis of the mid 1970s.

The first national programme, "In town, Without My Car!", began in France in 1998 and was established as a Europe-wide initiative by the European Commission in 2000.

Public transport providers are also expected to offer discounts to families and individuals travelling into Dublin for the day.

While a number of roads were closed for most of the day in Dublin city centre, during the first car free day, The Irish Times reported last year it was "business as usual on Dublin's roads" as World Car Free Day "passed off virtually unnoticed by most commuters".

The initiative has in the past been criticised by the AA which pointed out that in Ireland public transport does not have the capacity to handle large numbers of people leaving their cars at home.

However, as Car Free Day is to fall on a Saturday this year the number of commuters is likely to be considerably reduced.