Traffic in Dublin city centre was lighter than usual during rush hour last night according to AA Ireland, following the opening of the Dublin Port Tunnel.
However AA public affairs manager Conor Faughnan said it was difficult to determine if this was due to lorries diverting to the tunnel.
The tunnel was to open at lunch time yesterday but was not fully operational until 4.15pm, when many lorry drivers had already left the city.
"It wasn't the worst day for traffic in the city anyway," Mr Faughnan said. "Traffic was relatively light, relatively light by December-in-Dublin standards, that is.
"When the ban [ on five-axle and larger lorries entering the city centre without a permit] comes into operation on February 19th we'll probably see an effect but realistically we won't know how it's working until a full year of operations has gone by."
Irish Road Haulage Association spokesman Jimmy Quinn said most haulage companies were already winding down for Christmas and fewer trucks were on the road.
He had no feedback from hauliers last night but expected some reaction today when it was "all systems go" morning and evening.
