The Dublin City Business Association has reacted angrily to the preposterous suggestion that a congestion charge be imposed on motorists traversing the capital. "Fatuous" was the word it used to damn any such proposal -- and with some reason.
It could hardly be argued that Dublin has a public transport system comparable to London's, to which commuters could easily transfer. Though the city's bus network is extensive, buses are still snarled up in traffic congestion and, despite additions to the fleet in recent years, there is not yet sufficient capacity to meet peak demand.
The proposal came from Mr Derek Turner, transport director for London, who has imposed a charge of £5 per day on motorists in central London since February 17th. It was greeted with glee by Mr Owen Keegan, Dublin City Council's director of traffic, who suggested that there was a case for a congestion charge within the area bounded by the M50. "I've never taken the view that an alternative should be put in place as a pre-condition", he said.
Major public transport investment projects in Dublin have been dogged by delay and doubt. The Luas light rail lines serving Tallaght and Sandyford are at least a year behind schedule and millions of euro over budget. A metro system has been proposed, including a line linking the city centre with Dublin Airport, but there is serious doubt over whether it will be built, especially in the current budgetary climate. The Port Tunnel will bring relief to the Liffey quays, but its restricted height means that not all trucks will not fit into it when this €625 million project is completed in 2005 - five years behind schedule.
It is also doubtful whether a much-needed underground rail interconnector between Heuston Station and Spencer Dock, to link the DART with other commuter services, will proceed despite its endorsement by the Strategic Rail Review. A major programme of upgrading DART stations to cater for eight-carriage trains is being treated as a priority, but plans to sort out the signalling system in and around Connolly Station to increase its throughput have been put on the long finger. However, better traffic management has reduced traffic volumes in the city centre by 12 per cent in recent years.
Against this background, it is surely premature to talk about imposing a congestion charge in Dublin. Quite apart from Dublin's public transport deficit, it is clear that traffic congestion here is greater in the suburbs than the city centre. Comparisons with the plastic bag tax are misleading because there are obvious alternatives. How is the ordinary commuter meant to get to work?