A new Quality Bus Corridor from Whitehall Church to Dorset Street, Dublin, caused major tailbacks for motorists yesterday morning, gardai said. But the Dublin Transportation Office said the bus corridor increased the number of buses going into the city centre during the morning rush-hour.
The corridor which opened yesterday will lead to motorists finding alternative routes into the city, said Sgt Gerry Barry at the Garda Traffic Department. The road leads on to the N1, the main route between the city centre and Drumcondra, Santry, Dublin Airport and Swords. The new corridor reduced traffic into the city to a single lane, and some of the tailbacks were caused by motorists not being aware of this, Sgt Barry said. "It is a matter of educating people . . . People will eventually take alternative routes," he added.
Between 15 and 20 gardai patrolled the bus corridor on foot during yesterday's rush hours, with between seven and eight gardai on motorcycles. Gardai will continue to patrol the route for the next two weeks.
An additional 12 buses began operating yesterday on the No 16 bus route, allowing for 1,100 extra passengers, said Mr Joe Collins, spokesman for Dublin Bus. Between 8.15 a.m. and 9.15 a.m. 58 buses, including Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and private buses, travelled on the route into the city, according to the transportation office. Mr Collins said there were problems along some junctions on to the bus corridor with traffic-light sequences, but these would be monitored and changed.
Mr Conor Faughnan, spokesman for AA Roadwatch, said there were delays yesterday morning, but initial problems had also been seen on other new bus corridors.
"When things go right they really work well. The Quality Bus Corridors are potentially a great asset," he said.
Bus Eireann expects to carry up to 100,000 passengers throughout the country during the Easter holiday, the company said. A leaflet giving full details of all services during Easter is available from Bus Eireann travel centres and bus depots. Meanwhile, a new national programme against stone-throwing by Iarnrod Eireann, in the form of a video directed at schoolchildren, has been launched by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke. The video is designed to demonstrate the injury and damage which can be caused as a result of stones and other objects being thrown at trains.