Traffic: Pollution from rapidly increasing road traffic is now "the primary threat to the quality of air in Ireland" and prospects of meeting our commitment to curtail greenhouse gas emissions, according to the EPA's review.
The pollutants of most concern in this area are nitrogen dioxide (N02) and fine dust particles, or PM10, which are emitted by diesel-fuelled buses and heavy goods vehicles. PM10 is known to inflame respiratory ailments.
The review says results of monitoring, which showed high levels of nitrogen dioxide levels in some parts of central Dublin, indicated that compliance with the stringent new NO2 and PM10 standards "may present problems in some urban areas".
Abatement of PM10 pollution would be "much more difficult" than the measures used to eradicate winter smog in Dublin. It might even involve short-term traffic bans, which would represent a major new challenge for local authorities.
"The rate of private car ownership and the volume of road traffic have already reached the levels predicted for 2010, contributing to traffic congestion in cities and huge increases in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions."
Describing reform of the transport sector as fundamental, it says: "The State cannot expect to comply with its emissions ceilings for nitrous oxides and greenhouse gases if their contributions from road traffic are not soon brought under control."
Energy consumption in the transport sector more than doubled in the decade to 2002, with unprecedented increases in the consumption of petrol and diesel - including the large amounts bought by "fuel tourists" from the North.
"The use of primary energy in road transport now exceeds that in all other major economic sectors, including electricity generation", the review says.
Diesel's share recorded the largest increase, indicating a greater reliance on road freight.
Overall, transport emissions nearly doubled, from 9.5 per cent of the national total in 1990 to 17 per cent in 2002. Road transport accounted for 93 per cent of the total volume of 11.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from transport.
Analysis of emissions from 1990 to 2002 showed that transport's share rose by 127 per cent. This was due mainly to increased vehicle ownership and usage; the number of cars on Irish roads increased by nearly 82 per cent in the same period.
Nationally, 64 per cent of all commuters travel to work by car, as drivers or passengers. As the review acknowledges, "little progress" had been made in encouraging people to switch to public transport and this challenge is now greater than ever.
It warns that the opening of the Dublin Port Tunnel, late in 2005, "is likely to result in even more congestion on the M50" and that the tunnel's full potential "will not be realised" unless the carrying capacity of the motorway is increased.
The review blames the delays in providing Dublin with an integrated transport network on the multiplicity of bodies involved and says a single authority, responsible for land use and transport, "should be established without delay".
