Eighty gardai from the Garda Training College in Templemore, Co Tipperary, are being drafted into Dublin over the next two weeks to help enforce a new phase of Operation Freeflow, aimed at making the capital more accessible over the Christmas period. The DTO consultative panel was told yesterday there would be a total ban on roadworks, other than emergency repairs, within the canal ring during December and January as part of the effort to keep traffic in the city moving.
Mr Robert Kelly, a DTO traffic management engineer, conceded that last December's Operation Freeflow, which was largely driven by the need to cater for Ireland's EU presidency, would be "a hard act to follow", but he appealed for everyone's co-operation.
Asked about the fact that the DTO had no budget for the latest Operation Freeflow and was depending on the good will of the Garda and the local authorities, Mr Kelly said traffic congestion was already costing Dublin at least £500 million a year.
Mr Tom Coffey, director of the Dublin City Centre Business Asso ciation, said the Garda "must face up to their responsibilities" and put a "really serious effort" into enforcing the traffic laws, otherwise people would not be able to move around the city centre.
Mr Kelly said yellow jackets would be used to increase the visibility of gardai assigned to enforce Operation Freeflow. More use would also be made of traffic wardens and on-the-spot fines and the Garda's fleet of tow-away vehicles had been increased to four.
