Park and ride plan added to list of seasonal traffic goodies

Up to 10 per cent of car commuters are expected to switch to public transport this Christmas as a result of Operation Freeflow…

Up to 10 per cent of car commuters are expected to switch to public transport this Christmas as a result of Operation Freeflow.

Increased bus and DART frequencies, better enforcement of driving and parking regulations and new park-and-ride facilities are among the measures contained in the seasonal traffic management initiative, launched by the Minister for Environment, Mr Dempsey, yesterday.

The Minister also announced the introduction of new regulations which would allow private buses and coaches to use designated bus corridors throughout the State.

In excess of £1.1 million will be spent by the Department of Justice on enforcement measures under Operation Freeflow, now in its third year. This will include the allocation of an additional 43 motorcycle units, 60 probationary gardai and more than 100 foot patrols to traffic duty. The Garda helicopter will also be available to identify trouble spots during peak congestion times.

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Between December 5th and January 9th, key routes to the city and suburbs will be targeted by gardai for priority attention in order to remove any blockages caused by skips, parked cars or delivery vehicles.

The towing and clamping fleet within the Dublin Corporation area will be increased to eight vehicles, while 34 traffic wardens will be utilised by gardai throughout the city centre and suburbs.

Between December 1st and January 15th, no roadworks except emergency works will be permitted in the Dublin Corporation area. The three other Dublin local authorities have agreed to keep all primary routes free of roadworks during peak times.

Other elements of the operation include:

An extension in the maximum length of stay at corporation pay and display and disc parking areas from two hours to three hours, facilitating extended time for shopping.

The hooding of parking meters on some streets to facilitate traffic movement.

Additional 12-hour bus lanes on the following routes: Adelaide Road (outbound), Botanic Road (inbound), Merrion Row (outbound), Northumberland Road (outbound) and Pembroke Road (outbound).

An extra 20 buses which will operate during morning and evening peak times.

The extension of NiteLink to a daily service between Monday, December 7th and January 1st, excluding Sundays, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Additional capacity on DART services on the three weekends before Christmas.

A pilot park and ride service for shoppers operating from Whitehall Church and the RDS at Simmonscourt from this Thursday until Christmas Eve. Buses departing every 10 minutes will run between the two sites between 10 a.m. and 6.30 p.m., Monday to Saturday and until 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and other late-night shopping days before Christmas. A fare of £2.50 covers the cost of parking and travel.

The Minister for Environment, Mr Dempsey, said the pilot project would "provide us with useful experience that will assist in the development of park and ride facilities on a wider basis throughout the Dublin area".

Speaking at the launch yesterday, he did not rule out the possibility of extending Operation Freeflow to an all-year-round project. However, he said the emphasis should be on implementing longer-term measures under the Dublin Transportation Initiative (DTI), such as increasing investment in infrastructure and public transport.

He said the Department will have spent £320 million by the end of the year on implementing the DTI. A further £1 billion is to be spent over the next five years on roads and public transport projects.

Also speaking at the launch, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr O'Donoghue, said the new £2.5 million Garda helicopter, due to be commissioned next year, would be "of considerable benefit to dealing with traffic in Dublin" as a backup to the existing helicopter.

The Automobile Association renewed its call for Operation Freeflow to be extended all year round. It welcomed the pilot park and ride project but said it would have no impact on rush-hour commuters.

"It is a helpful measure but it does not address the fundamental cause of our morning gridlock which is that motorists do not have an alternative to bringing their cars into town," said Mr Conor Faughnan of AA.

Joe Humphreys

Joe Humphreys

Joe Humphreys is an Assistant News Editor at The Irish Times and writer of the Unthinkable philosophy column