THE LATEST report from Dublin Corporation's planning department confirms what has been obvious for some time: city traffic is grinding to a halt because of the Government's consistent failure to plan for and invest in a comprehensive system of public transport.
Because of this, a permanent ban on cross-city private traffic may have to be imposed in order to free up road space. Cycling facilities will have to be expanded. And activity between competing transport agencies will have to be properly co-ordinated.
City councillors will consider the report next week, when they come to review their overall development plan. But, on the basis of past performance, decisions are likely to be kicked into the future. Instead, councillors are likely to focus on a proposal in the Budget to impose a charge of €200 on all employees who currently enjoy free parking in the city centre. Some months ago, Dublin traders suggested that traffic congestion could be greatly reduced if civil servants - who use up to 60 per cent of parking places in the city - were encouraged to use public transport.
A €200 charge may provide temporary and modest relief at a time when considerable disruption is due to be caused by construction works on the Metro North and the Luas interconnector line. But long-term solutions can only be found through a reduction in private city traffic and the provision of more efficient, user-friendly public transport. And unrestrained development adjacent to existing public transport systems must end. It will be a long haul. The Dublin Transport Authority, which was to have directed and regulated the development of bus, Luas and rail systems, is still in gestation. And co-ordination between the various public transport agencies is only a pipe dream.
In the present economic climate, investment in public transport does not top the Government's agenda. But it should plan for the future and ensure that existing services, no matter how inadequate, are properly integrated and include high-quality interchange facilities.
Looking ahead, the planning department takes the view that cycling has the potential to transform the city's quality of life. But only if the practice is made safer through the construction of separated bicycle lanes and the provision of cycle storage and parking facilities at transport nodes. It is all about facilitating the consumer rather than the service provider. For too long, Dublin's commuters have been forced to accept a totally inadequate public transport service. That must change.