PAT KENNY'S "Walk to Work Day" united with Operation Freeflow yesterday in a concerted assault on Dublin's traffic congestion.
Rush hour traffic in the capital kept moving last night and the Garda reported some easing of the familiar congestion.
An average of 40 cars are arriving every day at the Car Compound in Infirmary Road since Operation Freeflow swung into action, almost double the usual intake. Most offenders had been blocking clearways and key streets.
AA Roadwatch spokesman Mr Conor Faughnan said the most notable improvements were during the day and not during the rush hour periods.
However, he said such enforcement of traffic laws should be carried out by gardai all year round, and he criticised Pat Kenny's `Walk to Work' campaign for its "flawed perspective".
"We would resent the perception that makes the car owners out to be the baddies. There is no viable transport alternative. Walking to work is no substitute for a proper infrastructure of public transport", he said.
"Pat Kenny walked n from Dalkey, but that is not a viable alternative for Pat Kenny. Maybe he could take the DART. People are going to keep driving until there is an alternative.
"There is no point bemoaning drivers driving into the city. It is a flawed perspective. In most cases, drivers coming in to work have no realistic option."
Motorists along Dame Street, George's Street and the Quays were spared long hold ups, but St Stephen's Green was chaotic.
Pat Kenny walked seven miles from his home in Dalkey to Nutley Lane, near the RTE studios. He said his programme on the "Walk to Work Day" began ahead of schedule.
Feedback from the Garda and AA Roadwatch indicated that the campaign to get motorists to use their feet for the day had made some impact on the flow of traffic in the major cities, he said.
Commenting on Operation Freeflow, Mr Kenny said enforcement of traffic laws was crucial to keeping city centre streets clear.
Publicity about the hefty penalties incurred by parking illegally would act as a deterrent for many motorists in the same way as drink driving campaigns during the festive season, he said.