Dublin needs an "immediate and radical" transport plan for the Christmas period to avoid potential "catastrophe", Dublin Chamber of Commerce has said.
The chamber has put forward a seven-point transport plan that it says will ensure shoppers and visitors can gain easy access to the city in the coming weeks.
Among those measures, it wants Operation Freeflow, the Christmas traffic plan, to be brought forward and is seeking a guarantee that on-street LUAS works will be finished by December 1st.
One chamber executive this morning compared the current state of the capital to that of "post-war Berlin".Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Declan Martin criticised the decision by Iarnród Éireann to shut down the DART system between Connolly Station and Greystones from Christmas Day until January 4th. Iarnród Éireann insists the closure is necessary to ensure the progress of work to upgrade the DART.
Ms Gina Quin, chief executive of Dublin City Council said the city centre was facing an "unprecedented" level of disruption from road works, new transport developments such as LUAS and the Port Tunnel, and disruptions to the DART network.
"These are all necessary projects, but they should be properly planned and co-ordinated. That is not happening — and there is nobody with the authority to ensure that they are co-ordinated," she said.
Labour's transport spokeswoman, Ms Roisin Shortall, said Iarnrod Eireann had treated the public with "utter contempt" over the upgrading of the DART. She accused the company of a "piecemeal" information campaign.
The Green Party called for plans for a Quality Bus Corridor adjacent to the southside DART line to be brought forward in a bid to "avert traffic chaos" over Christmas.
"All we're looking for is a bit of joined-up thinking", said Green Party TD Mr Ciarán Cuffe. He also criticised the "drip-feeding" of "bad news" on the DART upgrade and called for clarification on future disruptions.
Progressive Democrats TD Ms Fiona O'Malley said the planned 10-day closure of the DART was "yet another slap in the face for Dart users who already have to endure suspension of the service every weekend from now until the middle of next year".