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Mixed reception among business community on plans to divert through traffic away from Dublin city centre

From August, certain intersections will have new restrictions to try to discourage through traffic from the capital city.

LAST UPDATE | 8 Feb 2024

THERE HAS BEEN a difference of opinion among the business community towards plans to divert through traffic out of Dublin city centre from August.

While business lobby group Dublin Town has warned that it “cannot go ahead” before in-depth consultation happens with local businesses, taxi app FreeNow has welcomed the move and said it will help reduce traffic congestion. 

The Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, announced last year, detailed plans to reduce the number of cars clogging up the streets of the city centre but not bringing any custom to businesses.

Changes to traffic management and road layouts around Westland Row and Pearse Street, Bachelor’s Walk and Aston Quay were forecast to come into effect this year.

Minister for Climate and Transport Eamon Ryan yesterday said the changes will be seen from August.

The plan outlined that six out of every ten cars in the city centre are only using it as a route to reach destinations outside of the centre. Instead, that traffic “could be removed without impacting on the vitality and viability of the economic and cultural life of this area”. 

Richard Guiney, CEO of Dublin Town, has said businesses have “serious concerns” about the impact the plans will have on deliveries, waste collection and access for services and construction, along with the potential for anti-social behaviour.

He said there are also concerns that the city would become “less accessible”. 

Guiney warned that these concerns must be addressed and cannot be introduced before detailed workshops with businesses take place. 

Guiney said it is clear the plans are going to be implemented and that Dublin Town “accepts the reasoning behind them”, but added: “Only by fine tuning these proposals with businesses can we create a city fit for the 21st century.”

There must also be more public engagement on the plans, Guiney said, as “people must understand what is being done and why they are being asked to support it”. 

“Implementation will ensure significant additional traffic, including large delivery vehicles, in residential areas,” he said. 

Guiney further added that there needs to be a campaign to encourage the use of sustainable transport for those availing of both the day and nighttime economies. 

‘Greater efficiency’

However, taxi app FreeNow said the plans will “help to reduce traffic congestion in Dublin’s city centre by limiting private cars and commercial vehicles passing through the city centre”. 

A spokesperson for FreeNow said this would “support greater efficiency of inner-city public transport, including the rate at which taxis can complete journeys and accept more bookings, particularly at peak times”.

FreeNow added that it estimated reduced traffic congestion at peak times could result in a 20% decrease in the length of taxi journeys and a 13% reduction in waiting times for taxi passengers, as well as a 7% saving on fares.

FreeNow also said it is “happy to provide data and insights pertaining to inner-city taxi usage and challenges from its 12 years in Dublin’s city centre”.

‘Transformative’ plan

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast today, Minister Ryan said the plans will see the bus system run “much quicker”. 

Ryan admitted that the bus service needs to improve, but added that the “main problem for it is that it’s stuck in traffic”. 

“One of the main beneficiaries of this traffic plan will be the bus system, which will be able to get through [the city] much quicker,” the Minister said. 

“All these new BusConnects corridors which we’re about to build … that’ll be to no avail if it just comes into a city centre which is gridlocked,” he said. 

Ryan said he has been involved in transport for 35 years, adding: “Every single time we’ve come to a decision, going right back to when we pedestrianised Grafton Street or Henry Street … and on every occassion you hear people say, ‘This is disastrous, it’s not going to work’.

“Lo and behold it did – so yes, I believe it’s essential for Dublin actually.”

Speaking at yesterday’s meeting of Dublin City Council, Green Party Councillor Donna Cooney said that the plan will be “transformative”. 

She said that “some people will oppose change no matter what”, adding that “you could not imagine” putting cars back on Henry Street and Grafton Street. 

Green Party Councillor Michael Pidgeon said he was 35 years old and “cannot think of a time” during his life when the quays in Dublin city “have worked”, traffic-wise. 

“It’s time to just say ‘enough’ and treat the city centre with respect. Piecemeal measures along the quays haven’t worked and I don’t think they will, so I think this is exactly the sort of thing we should be doing,” he said. 

Independent Councillor Mannix Flynn said, however, that a lot of his constituents have “deep concerns” about the impact the plans will have on the city’s economy. 

With reporting by Conor Lanigan

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    Mute Sean Claffey
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:51 PM

    This is probably my best Monday in a long time. Got up at 5am and went to the gym and had a nice breakfast. Feel great. Pity next time I do this will probably be the first day of 2016.

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    Mute Art Vandelay
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:43 PM

    It’s the longest Monday of all time. Kill me, please….

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    Mute Sarah Collier
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:32 PM

    I coped grand last Monday thanks not everybody had a long break

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    Mute martina
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:35 PM

    Agreed Sarah!
    Advice: Get over it Dawson

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    Mute Ariana
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    Jan 5th 2015, 9:03 PM

    And I coped fine the Saturday before.

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:59 PM

    Well today has made it very clear that I go get a different job. Idiots remain idiots after 2 weeks off. The only difference is it is clearer today

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:44 PM

    Well I was working over the xmas and I’m not back in work for another week.

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    Mute Richard O'Callaghan
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:36 PM

    Wore my yoga pants in this morning – damn the begrudgers.

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    Mute Stephen Michael Mulligan
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:02 PM

    The amount of people who appeared to be relearning how to drive this morning on the M7/M9 was fairly disheartening.

    The commute to work last week was lane-hog free.

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    Mute George Knight
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:30 PM

    Couldn’t sleep till half 5 with the fear of coming in. Looking at the clock said 10 past 2….looked at what in my mind was a half hour said 5 past 2……Think I was taken by aliens!!!!!

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    Mute Jason
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:38 PM

    These articles are very presumptuous – a lot of us are back a week now. And I’ve a ‘cushy’ office job.

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    Mute Ally
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    Jan 5th 2015, 5:15 PM

    Was torture… Kept waking up all night- in case I missed the alarm! Worst January blues ever, new job needed.

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    Mute Jeanniejampots
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:34 PM

    Easing myself into it, started early so I could finish now :)

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    Mute EverybodyCYHSY!
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    Jan 5th 2015, 7:02 PM

    Happy enough to be back, though was absolutely positive I had finally got over my office crush, only to see the person in question today, and automatically feel that weird dull ache in my heart. Damn you good-looking co-worker!

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    Mute Brian Donovan
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:06 PM

    Took a half day…..
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    …… To go and do a college exam :-(

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    Jan 5th 2015, 5:29 PM

    Best of luck. Hope it went well.

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    Mute gumbridge
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:42 PM

    Oh, I hate Mondays.
    Thank God for cigarettes!

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:12 PM

    Keep up the fags and you won’t have too many bad Mondays left.

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    Mute Maggie
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:54 PM

    Lmao

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    Mute Aoibhin Ní Mhaille
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    Jan 5th 2015, 3:35 PM

    I’m still here thanks to copious amounts of Neros coffee!

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    Mute Allison Smith
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    Jan 5th 2015, 5:20 PM

    Oh you poor poor people that had 2 weeks off. I worked Christmas day and all over Christmas. Just glad I wasn’t in today to witness all the traffic

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    Mute Kal Ipers
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    Jan 5th 2015, 5:30 PM

    Everyday I don’t work I don’t get paid so Christmas is v expensive. Between the bank holidays and days the company closes it is the only long break I can take by taking a few days off I get 2 weeks but that is it for the year.

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    Mute Mark Gerard Lochlain
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:48 PM

    Delighted to be back into a routine!!! Gym at 6am and work was great actually!!! Feel very refreshed!!

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    Mute Maggie
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:54 PM

    Weirdo

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    Mute fuve
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:37 PM

    I was back the Saturday after Stephens day bunch of wusses. I usually count one hour ahead. So if I have five hours to go I think,only four hours to go and go on. Keep busy with anything of quiet and day flies in.

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    Mute Mrs Shalakalananaka
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    Jan 5th 2015, 6:56 PM

    I don’t work Monday-Friday, 9-5, so I’m grand.

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    Mute Kel Lynch
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    Jan 5th 2015, 6:12 PM

    Was tough enough!! Quieter week this week as courts not open again until next week but still missing not getting up until at least 11am…

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    Mute Deirdre Casey
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    Jan 5th 2015, 4:52 PM

    On site massage helps big time! Prebooked before xmas to ease back in to the routine!
    These guys are great! http://www.zestatwork.ie

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    Mute Philip Cooper
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    Jan 5th 2015, 6:09 PM

    Ugh.

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    Mute Trevor Weafer
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    Jan 5th 2015, 11:28 PM

    Not back until the 12th.

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