Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Transport Robert Troy TD said commuters in Dublin will continue to face significant disruption in the months and years ahead and described the situation as "unsustainable".
Deputy Troy said: "Navigating through gridlock traffic has become a daily routine for commuters in Dublin and surrounding counties. A relatively minor traffic incident has the potential to bring the entire transport system to a halt. The bus network in particular, which is used by the majority of commuters, is under serious pressure and faces significant disruption upon completion of the Luas Cross City project.
"Traffic congestion is undoubtedly set to worsen in the months ahead as more commuters take to the road. The completion of the Luas Cross City project will allow for a clean-up of the city, but it will have a limited impact on alleviating the current traffic disruption. Dublin Bus passengers in particular will be alarmed to learn that there still is no plan in place for the re-routing of key services once the Luas Cross City project is complete.
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"College Green currently acts as an arterial gateway for Dublin Bus services. The Luas construction works has led to a significant increase in journey times for cross-city bus passengers as College Green has essentially been reduced to one lane. The area will have significantly less capacity to cater for buses on a permanent basis once the Luas Cross City project is complete. The potential pedestrianisation of College Green will require Dublin Bus to identify a new arterial route for cross-city services. The fact that such a route is yet to be identified does not bode well for passengers, and suggests that journey times are set to increase significantly in the months ahead.
"The current situation with traffic congestion in Dublin is unsustainable. It is impacting on people's quality of life and is limiting economic growth. It's becoming clearer by the day that we urgently need to progress key transport projects such as the DART Underground and Metro North to help provide a mix of public transport options for commuters. Failure to progress these projects will only compound traffic congestion in the years ahead and will continue the trend of allowing one relatively minor issue on our roads to bring the entire capital to a standstill."
(CD/LM)
