Plans by Dublin City Council to limit deliveries in the city centre to a two-hour window have been described as "premature and unworkable" by a group of business organisations.

The group - which includes IBEC, RGDATA, the Beverage Council of Ireland, the Licensed Vintners Federation and the Food and Drink Federation of Ireland - called on the council to suspend the plan.

RGDATA director general Ms Ailish Forde said the plan to restrict commercial deliveries to between 10 a.m. and noon in an area bordered by Parnell Street, St Stephen's Green, Merrion Square and George's Street was physically impossible.

"If we have around 1,000 deliveries a day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., they're going to have to be condensed into two hours.

"You're going to get trucks lining up to deliver in what is normally a quiet time in the city centre and I genuinely feel it's going to make traffic worse in the city centre," said Ms Forde.

Research among the group's members showed there was an average of 936 commercial deliveries a day going to 150 premises in the area, but the group added that this was a conservative estimate. Trying to force deliveries to night time would result in increased costs on retailers, suppliers and ultimately customers, said Ms Forde.

"For retailers in the city centre, staffing is a problem and they won't get staff at night. There is a city crime problem. You're more vulnerable during the night-time hours and there is an insurance problem, with insurance premiums going through the roof as it is. On those grounds alone, it is unworkable," she said.

The group said the imposed changes had been forced through in the absence of any genuine consultation and described them as flawed. Ms Forde said the council's moves were premature as the Dublin Transportation Office was still conducting a major study into traffic flows, including commercial traffic flows, in the city centre.