Congestion charges For Dublin

[thejuice]

FROM TODAYS INDO

City residents could face London-style congestion charges, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern signalled yesterday.


And they may also have to sacrifice pavement space for new parking bays as part of new Dublin City Council proposals.

Mr Ahern told the Dail that Ireland could not continue driving "regardless, with no restrictions" as the population had now soared to 4.3m, with 2.5m vehicles on the road.

Mr Ahern refused to be specific on congestion charges, despite repeated efforts by Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore.

"Do I decode what he stated as a suggestion that Dublin Corporation should introduce a congestion charge, for example? Is that the import of what he stated?" Mr Gilmore said.

The Taoiseach stated Ireland should be the same as cities like Paris, Rome and Athens, which were "far more aggressive" and had a range of plans.

"More imaginative proposals could be developed. There are very few park and ride facilities. In other cities these facilities are the norm and work well," Mr Ahern said.

The Taoiseach was pressed to explain his opinions on the thorny issue after he said "difficult decisions" lay ahead for Dublin City Council .

These will include whether to introduce a new style of "indented" parking spaces, sacrificing pavement space to do so and costing residents €125 a year for 10 years.

The prospect of this €1,250 parking bill for Dublin residents is raised in a report which will come before the city council's transport committee tonight.

There are more than 500,000 cars in Dublin, an increase of more than 40pc since 1997, the report says.

It warns that in some areas there is not enough parking available because of a huge surge in car numbers and suggests "indented" parking spaces as a possible solution.

Sacrificed

This would mean that pavement space is sacrificed to create parking away from the carriageway, allowing traffic to flow more easily.

But for this privilege residents would pay an extra €125 a year on their residential parking permit for 10 years.

This and other suggestions to cut the problem of traffic on the capital's clogged roads will be discussed.

But Mr Ahern yesterday refused to be pinned down.

He said Dublin City Council's traffic planning committee would have to deal with these issues, similar to the way they were being dealt with in "other countries".

"We must face up to what other cities are dealing with sooner rather than later," he told the Dail.

"If we are serious about emissions and congestion, we cannot continue the way we have been, where everybody drives from A to B regardless, with no restrictions.

"That was alright when we had 500,000 vehicles, but we have 2.5 million now."

[AZOffaly]

The only way congestion charges should be brought in is if there is adequate public transport to comfortably allow people travel in and out of the city centre. I'm not talking about standing up squashed like sardines in a commuter train from Maynooth.

I would be in favour of congestion charges for non-business vehicles, as long as it is clearly a personal choice to sit in your car. Most people don't have a realistic, or comfortable alternative.

[his holiness nb]

Agree with AZ, even a half decent park and ride facility for the commuter belt would greatly help.

Unless you are working slap bang in the city centre, public transport isnt an option for people living in there areas.

[Gnevin]

Not till major changes are made , for example why does nearly every bus still go into town , yet i can't get to every where else with out 2 or 3 bus. Orbital buses are needed . Also every area should have a O Connell street bus. The majoitiry of journeys are into town when i get the bus i have the option of the  4/4A/13/13A/19/19A/19C . All which run pretty much the same route and bring most people to the sample place town , o Connell street its madness

[AZOffaly]

I have a few meetings in Dublin, and coming from Limerick, I will always try and park in the Red Cow and get the Luas in. However, if my cmeeting is out near the airport, or down near Sandyford or Leapordstown, I have to drive, because I'd have to Luas in, bus to airport, or luas in, walk to Stephen's Green, Luas to the far south side. The 'decision' to not cross the Luas lines was idiotic, but that's a different story.

Anyway, on my infrequent trips to Dublin, I am happy to use public transport whenever it's practical, but the public transport system is so poor that it's only practical for city centre meetings.

I can't imagine going into Dublin every day, to somewhere away from the city centre, and trying to use public transport. It'd be a mess.

[Star Spangler]

When we've got public transport like London then we can consider congestion charges like London.  But not before.

[An Gaeilgoir]

But a lot of the public transport issues, i.e orbital bus routes, darts running longer hours, more train stations been opened and so on will be blocked by trade unions. i live in an area in north Dublin that recently got a new bus route. The unions went on strike for 3 days because the bus drivers had to have their lunch in town instead of having it in their state of the art depot in Harristown out at the airport. With a mood for modernisation of our public transport system like that, it will be a slow process.The amount of money that will be spent in Dublin over the next few years on public transport is staggering,the company i work for are tendering for a lot of the work. So there will be improvements but the unions will have to be brought on board as well to prevent further disruption when these new routes come on line.

[Gnevin]

But a lot of the public transport issues, i.e orbital bus routes, darts running longer hours, more train stations been opened and so on will be blocked by trade unions. i live in an area in north Dublin that recently got a new bus route. The unions went on strike for 3 days because the bus drivers had to have their lunch in town instead of having it in their state of the art depot in Harristown out at the airport. With a mood for modernisation of our public transport system like that, it will be a slow process.The amount of money that will be spent in Dublin over the next few years on public transport is staggering,the company i work for are tendering for a lot of the work. So there will be improvements but the unions will have to be brought on board as well to prevent further disruption when these new routes come on line.

Its time to break  the public service union, bunch of idiots living in the 40's

[SammyG]

When we've got public transport like London then we can consider congestion charges like London.  But not before.

Correct, congestion charging is a brilliant idea but it can only work if people have an alternative.

[AZOffaly]

So seeing as how we are all saying the same thing, what is the vote? I didn't know what to vote. It's 'Yes, but' or 'No, until'.

[Declan]

Congestion charge without any improvement in public transport is a nonsense. When at home and trying to get from Dunshaughlin to Sandyford every day on public transport alone is enough to ensure I endure the lunacy of the M50 in preference.

[Gnevin]

Who voted yes?

[AZOffaly]

Not me, but anyone that did, going by these comments, is voting Yes - When the public transport infrastructure provides a viable alternative.

[Zapatista]

I think we need a Dictatorship here. Just for about 10 - 15 years. It would get all the crap sorted out then we could overthrow them and return to democracy the current model.

[Gnevin]

Juice can you change the poll to is the congestion charge a good idea right now? or would a congestion charge ever be a good idea for Dublin ?