Dublin is choking on its traffic. The way things are going, the situation will get worse before it gets better. Strenuous efforts are being made by the authorities to improve traffic flows and keep private cars out of the city centre. Main thoroughfares are being narrowed, restricted access is being imposed, one-way streets are being created and bus/taxi and cycle lanes are being established in order to give the city back to the citizen. It is a multi-layered plan. For it to succeed, all the major elements must be put in place.
There is no point in limiting the use of private transport unless alternative means of conveyance are provided. Modern, efficient public transport systems are basic requirements in any capital city. Dublin fared badly in the past in terms of government commitment and investment and a ramshackle bus and taxi service was the outcome. That began to change in recent years. The Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs O'Rourke, has been presiding over a major investment and modernisation programme in CI╔. But difficulties persist. The recent downturn in the economy may make it harder to meet targets.
Dublin Bus has wanted to build a new £41 million depot at Harristown, near the Ballymun junction of the M50, to house 200 new buses. But there have been considerable delays in providing the £11 million required to purchase the land by CI╔, the parent company of Dublin Bus. The CI╔ board is expected to meet next Tuesday, however, and the required finance may finally be made available. CI╔ is under pressure. The company's failure to control costs on the mini-CTC signalling project is a source of public concern. The Minister has been highly critical of management and unions in the past. Her insistence that LUAS and the promised Metro systems should be run by private/public partnership arrangements tells its own story.
Dublin Bus has slightly more than 1,000 buses in its fleet at the moment. That number is scheduled to rise to 1,250 by 2006. But before the vehicles can be purchased, there must be a secure place to house them. Failure to open the Harristown depot by 2003 would seriously undermine public transport policy. Without an efficient bus service, it will be impossible to deal with traffic congestion, and Dublin will remain a difficult city to traverse.