Taxi-sharing, park-and-ride facilities and late-night clamping form the core of Dublin Corporation's campaign to ease traffic chaos in the capital this Christmas.
About half of the city's 2,700 taxis are expected to participate in the pilot taxi-sharing scheme aimed at cutting the dreaded Christmas queues.
In another first, the local authority has employed a private company to operate a park-and-ride bus service between Dublin Airport and Donnybrook. Eight Aircoach buses will service the route, collecting motorists from car parks at Dublin Airport, Whitehall church and the RDS every 15 minutes.
Late-night clamping and towing will be in operation in shopping areas seven days a week. Pay-and-display machines have been reprogrammed to allow people pre-pay for early parking, thus allowing revellers to leave their cars in the city overnight.
The corporation's traffic and parking information radio station, 106.8 Travel FM, is also returning for a six-week period, starting next Monday. The station, which recently failed to get a permanent licence from the Independent Radio and Television Commission, has been expanded to include updates on weather and pollution.
The taxi-sharing initiative starts on Wednesday, operating from 11.30 p.m. to 3.30 a.m., from two Garda-supervised ranks at Middle Abbey Street and Foster Place, near College Green. Passengers will pay a fixed fare of £3.50, £4.50 or £6.50 each, depending on how far they are travelling.
Marshals employed by the corporation will match passengers to cars, the city having being divided into eight destination zones, each with three price zones covering a nine-mile radius.
The corporation's director of traffic, Mr Owen Keegan, said the scheme - to run until mid-January - will benefit both commuters and taxi-drivers who should earn more by having their vehicles fully utilised. "If it's successful we may retain it through the year, operating at certain points like railway stations."
The National Taxi Drivers' Union estimates that up to 60 per cent of its members will participate in the pilot scheme. The Irish Taxi Drivers' Federation says 40 per cent of its members should participate.
The park-and-ride service, starting on Wednesday, will operate between 9.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays; until 9 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; and between 1 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. on Sundays. A fee of £5 will cover parking and coach travel for up to five car occupants.
Meanwhile, the Garda's Operation Freeflow begins this week. More than 60 trainee gardai have been drafted in to police bus lanes and clearways. One Freelow initiative starting today is a one-way traffic system operating at Blanchardstown shopping centre.
