The Government should look at other means of improving the flow of vehicles through Dublin rather than consider introducing a congestion tax simliar to that which was this morning implemented in London, according to opposition parties.
Investment in public transport would be preferable to any congestion tax, the Green Party's spokesperson on Transport, Mr Eamonn Ryan said today.
While Mr Ryan said he had "no problem" with the idea of a congestion tax, he would prefer to see it in operation on the outskirts of Dublin around the M50 motorway.
A congestion charge of £5 began operating in the British capital for the first time this morning.
"I would not object to the idea, but, we would need to have a significant increase in investment in public transport. We spend six times more on building new roads than we do on public transport. You can't push people in one direction with one policy and then pull them in another direction with a different policy," Mr Ryan told ireland.com.
Labour's spokesperson on transport, Ms Roisin Shortall also stated her opposition to introducing any congestion charges to ease the "capital's traffic nightmare".
She instead called for the immediate establishment of a Transport Authority to replace the ineffective Dublin Transport Office as a first step in offering a new strategy on easing traffic congestion.
Mr Conor Faughnan of AA Roadwatch said it would be wrong to introduce a congestion tax in Dublin: "This tax should not happen in Dublin.
"We don't have public transport alternatives here and until there is a quantum improvement in public transport we should not be encouraging people to use something that really isn't there.
"If the tax was introduced here it would just be a tax revenue generator without solving the traffic jam."
Elsewhere, Italy's main environmental group, Legambiente, said today that smoggy cities in Italy should follow London's example by introducing a road tax to fight congestion.
"This initiative is much more effective than the system of banning cars with odd and even licence plates on alternate days," said Legambiente official Mr Alberto Fiorillo.
"There is an immediate and lasting 10 to 15 percent reduction of urban traffic, the roads are less congested and public transport - buses and tramways - work better," he argued.