RETAIL EXCELLENCE IRELAND has said it is “regrettable” that Dublin City Council is implementing the first measures of its transport plan.

REI said there had been “calls for a pause” and that “retailers have not been adequately consulted on this new plan”.

It was announced yesterday that the first measures of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan will come into effect next month, from 25 August.

These first set of measures will be implemented on the North Quays at Bachelors Walk and on the South Quays on Burgh Quay and Aston Quay. 

The use of private cars in these parts will be restricted from 7am to 7pm.

Dublin City Council would like to announce that the first of the measures contained in the Dublin City Transport Plan 2023 will come into effect from 25th August 2024. For more details on the new measures please click here: https://t.co/Mj8xVoDVNc pic.twitter.com/DolOFgtDHs

— Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) July 25, 2024

Access will be restricted during these hours to buses, taxis, cyclists and pedestrians.

Outside of these hours, the restrictions will not be in operation and all vehicles can travel as before. 

All other routes on the quays and all other routes in the city remain the same, and access to all Liffey Bridges will also remain the same. 

Dublin City Council said these first set of measures will “address the fact that 60% of general traffic in the city centre that is not stopping, working or shopping but is travelling through the city”. 

Chief Executive of Dublin City Council Richard Shakespeare said his office “carefully considered correspondence from all parties” and that the “correct course of action is to process with the implementation of the City Centre Transport Plan in August”.

However, Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) said the measures “do not not address our concerns around deliveries, public transport capacity, and projected retail spend as a result of limiting car journeys into the city”.

It also said that a “snap survey” conducted by REI among Dublin retailers in June found 10% of respondents said they have been adequately consulted on the plan.

Jean McCabe, the CEO of REI, said the plan “must be revisited if businesses in the city see a marked reduction in retail spend as a result of the new plan”.

However, she welcomed the establishment of a working group to monitor the impact of the changes, which will be chaired by the Dublin Lord Mayor James Geoghegan.

“We appreciate that the plan for the city has to start somewhere and there is no easy fix,” said McCabe, “but it is critically important that industry feedback is noted and acted on if we see a significant drop in retail spend as a result of these changes.”

However, Dublin Chamber, Ireland’s largest chamber of commerce with over 1000 member companies, said the transport plan is “good news for Dublin”.

Stephen Browne, Head of Public Affairs at Dublin Chamber, said there has been a “great deal of debate and confusion in the City on the council’s plans” over the past few weeks, “with many objecting at a very late stage”.

He said Dublin Chamber’s “support has been unwavering”.

He said the Dublin City Centre Traffic Plan “can provide attractive public spaces where people live and engage in the City in a positive way”.

“These spaces can be used for cultural activities, focal points for tourism and areas where Dubliners can stop and enjoy their City,” said Browne.

He added that the plan is “another step towards our proposals for a more pedestrian-friendly city”.

He added: “Without it, public transport services across the county of Dublin will be less effective, less frequent and have longer journey times.”

Browne also welcomed the establishment of a working group to monitor the implementation of the plan.