The Dublin Transport Office (DTO) has defended Operation Freeflow after severe gridlock in the capital yesterday.
Operation Freeflow, in its sixth year, is an attempt by the authorities to relieve pressure on Dublin’s congested roads over Christmas by running extra night buses and late-night DARTs as well as putting an extra 100 gardaí on traffic duty.
It was initially introduced as an emergency measure but, as conditions in the city have consistently worsened, has become a regular fixture.
DTO spokesperson Mr Peter Cluskey, told ireland.comthis morning the situation in Dublin is such that one or two apparently minor complications somewhere in the city can have a detrimental and widespread effect on the rest of the city.
Mr Cluskey said a gas leak on Cork Street and a special offer at an upmarket department store in the city centre was responsible for the gridlock that saw commuters taking 45 minutes to travel from Brown Thomas to Castle Street, a less than two-minute cycle ride.
"Once those two problems are sorted there is no reason why it should not run properly today. Operation Freeflow has been hugely effective over the last two years," he said.