Hauliers will be banned from roads "left, right and centre" under new plans to restrict traffic after Dublin's port tunnel opens later this year, the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) said today.
Dublin City Council had originally proposed banning trucks from entering the city limits between the Royal and Grand Canals between 7am and 7pm when the tunnel opens.
However, it yesterday unveiled plans to extend the heavy goods vehicles cordon area. The extended cordon will incorporate areas of the Navan Road, Cabra, Phibsboro, Drumcondra and the north inner city when the ban on HGVs entering the cordoned areas takes effect on January 1st, 2007.
But IRHA spokesman Jimmy Quinn said today city councillors were "playing catch-up with each other" to have HGVs banned in their areas.
"There is a ridiculous rush to slap bans left right and centre," Mr Quinn told ireland.com. "This latest development is utter madness and is clearly a smokescreen for the council's failure to open the long awaited Port Tunnel despite promises."
However, Mr Quinn said the IRHA had proposed extending the ban in the city centre. "Come seven at night it will be open season," he added.
Mr Quinn also said the port tunnel project had been "oversold" and would not be "all things to all things to all men".
The tunnel is now due to open in November.
