An extra 160 gardai will be redeployed around Dublin to work on a new phase of Operation Freeflow, which is designed to keep traffic moving over Christmas. Traffic and parking restrictions will be strictly enforced, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, announced yesterday.
He appealed to businesses to co-operate with Operation Freeflow by arranging deliveries outside busy hours. He asked that they avoid having vehicles parked on bus lanes, clearways and double yellow lines during deliveries.
The new strict enforcement period will begin on Friday, December 5th. The extra gardai will join the 90 officers involved in the "less intense" implementation of Operation Freeflow at other times of the year. They will also have the support of motorcycle units, mobile jeep patrols and tow trucks which can take away two vehicles at a time.
Mr John Mahony, chairman of the Dublin Transportation Office, said yesterday these mobile Garda units will respond immediately to traffic infringements and blockages picked up on the traffic camera system located in Dublin Corporation's Traffic Control Centre, where Garda personnel will be on duty.
The centre has a freephone number to respond to calls from the public (1-800-293949).
Dublin Corporation is banning roadworks, except emergencies, within the area bounded by the two canals.
Parking meters on certain streets will be "hooded" to reduce on-street parking. Queuing for multi-storey car parks will be policed to prevent traffic blockages on surrounding streets.
Six bus supervisors are being assigned to the city-centre to reduce congestion at bus stops. Dublin Bus officers will patrol between the quays and College Green to ensure that buses do not hold up traffic.
The operation of bus lanes will be extended to 12 hours on some city-centre streets. There will be increased Dublin Bus and DART services.
Mr Dempsey said Operation Freeflow was designed to achieve an orderly and congestion-free Christmas. However, he added, in the longer term Dublin's traffic problems could only be resolved through the full implementation of the Dublin Transportation Initiative. This has the full support of the Government, according to Mr Dempsey.
He appealed to motorists for a change in their attitude to the way they use their cars.
"A change of travel mode to bus, rail, cycling or walking just one day a week would reduce traffic in the peak by 20 per cent, which is equivalent to the reduction we see during school holidays."
Mr Mahony said it was the people of Dublin who could ease the traffic situation this Christmas by showing consideration when driving and parking and by using public transport.