LAST UPDATE | 1 Jul

SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT CHANGES to the proposed Dublin City Centre Transport Plan have been laid out at a Dublin City Council meeting this evening after accessibility concerns raised by Disabled Persons’ Organisations (DPOs).

Removing the planned ban on private cars on Bachelor’s Walk and dropping several restrictions from 24/7 down to specific time windows are among changes developed in response to the concerns.

The discussion also comes in the wake of of Minister of State Emer Higgins calling for a delay on its implementation, a move that has been criticised by councillors.

The transport plan is seeking to reduce traffic congestion in the city centre by restricting private vehicle access on certain roads and changing some traffic routes in the hope of freeing up more space for public transport, walking and cycling and discouraging private vehicles from using the city centre as a through-route.

The plan is part of efforts to ease traffic and to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector that are harmful to the climate.

Some measures, such as restricting private car access around Bachelors Walk and Aston Quay, would come into effect later this year under the current proposed timeline, while others would be implemented in the coming years up to 2028.

A number of significant changes are expected to be made to the plan after consultations with DPOs, which had raised concerns about how the plan would impact people with disabilities and Blue Badge (disabled parking permit) holders.

A meeting of Dublin City Councillors this evening heard an update from planners that a key concern raised was about access for Blue Badge holders to the North and South Quays.

An update to councillors details that Dublin City Council does not intend to add Blue Badge holders to the list of exceptions to the proposed traffic restrictions because they are not classified as a separate type of road user but that it will make changes to “maximise the area accessible for general traffic, including Blue Badge holders”.

On the north quays, the planned bus gate would move further east to O’Connell Bridge. It had previously been planned that vehicles would be required to turn left at Jervis Street; instead, all vehicles would be able travel as far as the junction of O’Connell Street and Bachelors Walk, meaning all vehicles would still be able to travel along Bachelors Walk and turn left on to O’Connell Street.

The road straight ahead from Bachelors Walk to Eden Quay would be for public transport, taxis and cyclists only and the right turn on to O’Connell Bridge would retain its current status of being restricted to allow only public transport, taxis and cyclists.

That means any general traffic would be able to access Bachelors Walk but would need to turn left at O’Connell Bridge.

To allow access to Eden Quay, the right turn from O’Connell Bridge to Eden Quay would be reintroduced. It was previously removed as part of the Luas Cross City works and is currently only available for public transport and cyclists.

Additionally, the hours of operation for the restrictions are to be reduced from 24 hours to 7am to 7pm (Monday to Sunday). Outside of those hours, the restrictions would not be in operation and vehicles could travel along all areas of the north quays.

On the south quays, all vehicles would be able to turn left from Burgh Quay to D’Olier Street and turn right from Burgh Quay to O’Connell Bridge, which allows access to the right turn to Eden Quay and straight onwards to O’Connell Street.

The stretch from Burgh Quay to Aston Quay would be restricted public transport, taxis and cyclists only.

The left turn from Westmoreland Street to Aston Quay would also be limited to public transport, taxis and cyclists, while the left turn from Westmoreland Street to Fleet Street would be for deliveries and access only.

Access to the Temple Bar area for deliveries would be from the Westmoreland Street turn to Fleet Street, as would access to Fleet Street carpark and the disabled bay on Aston Quay.

The update to councillors would detail that there would be only 50 metres of Aston Quay where a vehicle cannot access, located at the junction of Aston Quay/ Westmoreland Street, because of the access point via Fleet Street.

The hours of operation on the north quays would also be reduced from 24 hours to 7am to 7pm. 

At the meeting, several councillors expressed support for the consultations with DPOs but said that the implementation of the plan should not be delayed.

Request for delay

Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Emer Higgins is asking Dublin City Council to delay the plans until at least after Christmas.

In a statement to RTE, Higgins said: ”For me it all comes down to protecting jobs. We heard from retailers in the last two weeks in particular that there are very valid concerns.”

“I really do think we need to get this right. And part of that is going to be around getting the timing right. I would prefer for further consultation with retailers and further implementation of Bus Connects before we introduce a significant change like this.”

In response, Green Party councillors labelled the move as “bizarre” and a “major overreach”.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he supported the plan and the nature of it being up to the council to decide. Fianna Fáil Minister of State in the Department of Transport James Lawless also said that he supported the plans and that the decisions of local government should be respected. 

Social Democrats Councillor Cat O’Driscoll said in a statement this afternoon that the “intervention by the new Minister of State with Responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail is most unwelcome”.

“Just weeks after taking up office, Minister Higgins has gone on a solo run and is attempting to undo all the hard work of democratically elected Dublin city councillors.”

At this evening’s meeting, Councillor Ray McAdam – a Fine Gael member – said he “does not favour any prolonged delay or deferral of the implementation” but that engagement with businesses and representative groups needs to be increased.

Sinn Féin’s Daithí Doolan was critical of Government ministers being “at loggerheads with each other” over the plan and labelled the intervention as an “unpacking” of a plan developed by the Council.

He said the council should “stand up” to “drive this plan home”, adding: “If we allow big business to step in and stop it, I think it would be undoing the democracy in the city.”

Green Councillor Feljin José said he opposed any delays to the plan and that the council “cannot be dictated to on how we make our decisions on this”. He also questioned the decision to reduce the restrictions down from 24/7 to 7am to 7pm and asked for the project management to provide a reason for that particular change to the plan.