Dublin commuters face long delays this morning as a result of the bus dispute. Some 200,000 Dublin Bus users will be forced to find other means of transport around the city.
There will be a number of measures to help alleviate the effect of extra traffic on the roads.
Car drivers will be permitted to use the Quality Bus Corridors all day today, but no parking will be permitted in bus lanes. Dublin Corporation announced late last night that those who find on-street parking in the city centre will be allowed to park for longer than the three-hour limit that normally applies to parking control areas "so long as they fill the meter". Clearways will still have to be observed, the spokesman said. The Garda will deploy extra traffic motorcycles and foot patrols. They have appealed to motorists not to make any nonessential journeys during peak times. The Automobile Association has advised motorists to travel earlier, expect long delays and share cars wherever possible.
DART services will run as normal, but no extra trains are available, according to a spokesman for Iarnrod Eireann. "Every DART we have is always out at peak times. As our regular customers will know, the DART is always pretty full at those times." Provincial bus services and Iarnrod Eireann's ARROW service will not be affected. Private bus company Aircoach will run its coaches every quarter of an hour between Dublin Aiport and the south side of the city centre. The charge for the service is £4, but Aircoach accepts unredeemed Dublin Bus change tickets as part or full payment for tickets.
The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises organisation (ISME) predicted many employees of small companies would be unable to turn up for work.
