A seven-year plan aimed at eradicating traffic chaos in the capital was announced yesterday by the Dublin Transportation Office.
The blueprint includes proposals for bus, rail, light rail, road and cycling services and provides for an extra 87,000 people on public transport during the morning rush hour.
According to the DTO, the agency responsible for co-ordinating the response to the city's traffic problem, the plan will involve an investment of £2.5 billion in the transportation infrastructure.
Between the end of this year and 2006, £145 million would be invested in the bus services allowing for an extra 22,000 bus journeys.
The Dart fleet would be doubled at a cost of £204 million while £40 million would be spent on creating a city-wide network of cycle-tracks.
The addition of two extra lanes to the M50 and the completion of the Dublin C-Ring and Port Tunnel is also proposed as part of a £1 billion investment to complete all major road developments in the greater Dublin area.
A £400 million investment in the proposed light rail system is also included.
According to a statement released by the DTO, the plan has been formulated as a response to the dramatic increase in private vehicles in the Dublin area. Since 1991 the number of cars in the greater Dublin area has almost doubled from 280,000 to 400,000. An additional 150,000 cars are expected to be added to this number in the next few years.
DTO chairman, Mr Conor McCarthy, said yesterday that the plan was building on initiatives that were already agreed and underway including plans announced in the DTO's Short Term Action Plan. It addressed the problems created by the success of the economy, he said.
"The key is to increase the frequency of the public transport services which will encourage more people to use them," he said. "If these proposals were introduced tomorrow and people started using the improved public transport services, the traffic problem would be solved."
Mr McCarthy said that the DTO was confident the plan would be taken on board at government level and adopted for inclusion in the forthcoming National Development Plan.
