Plan Revealed To Ban Traffic From Dublin

A report from a government committee has suggested Dublin city centre should become a car free zone within a year.

The plan, which proposes the closure of Dublin’s streets to public traffic, could be implemented by April of next year and envisages 350 extra buses, with services running at 10 minutes intervals off-peak and three-minute intervals at peak times.

The report also suggests that a similar plan could be rolled out for Galway, Cork, Waterford and Limerick.

However, business leaders meeting on Monday night questioned whether the radical plan was viable.

Dublin Chamber of Commerce spokesman Aebhric McGibney said the business organisation "shared the vision" of having a large, pedestrian-friendly civic space in the city centre, especially where this would facilitate tourists and families.

But he said businesses would not put up with making sacrifices "at any cost" to make that vision a reality.

The report will reach Transport Minister Noel Dempsey's desk in the coming days.

It recommends the creation of a "bus gate" area around College Green, and closing off O'Connell Street, Dame Street and Westmoreland Street to all traffic except buses and taxis.

(DW)