AA Roadwatch reported a much happier Monday than usual as Operation Freeflow, designed to ease pre Christmas traffic congestion, swung into action in Dublin city centre yesterday morning.
However, disgruntled commuters and bus and taxi drivers painted a more familiar picture of snarl ups and blatant traffic violations during the morning's rush hour. Many expressed concern that the assault on the capital's traffic mayhem was a temporary measure and that the city's main arteries would be choked again in the New Year.
Mr Conor Faughnan, spokesman for AA Roadwatch, said that although the early verdict on Operation Freeflow was favourable the move was "very much a matter of papering over the cracks". He particularly welcomed the extra gardai to enforce traffic regulations.
"These measures cannot be anything other than temporary. The city needs a drastically improved infrastructure of public transport otherwise you will just stop people coming into the city and not the cars.
"We are suffering from traffic flow problems, but the way out is to give drivers an alternative way of coming in. I don't think anyone will envisage these measures as anything other than short term" Mr Faughnan said.
Commuters reported little improvement during yesterday's morning rush. Bus passengers said their journeys took the same time and, in some cases, longer.
Mr Mark Garry said his bus journey took the usual 50 minutes to travel from Glasnevin to the city centre, due largely to congestion in Phibsboro. Ms Niamh Killion said the same journey could take up to an hour in the rush hour. "It was as bad as normal today", she said.
Mr Dave O'Shea, a bus driver on the route between Templeogue and the city centre, said it was chaos in the city centre. He did not see a single garda during his journey into town.
Commenting on the evening rush hour, he said: "You can see it yourself, it's clogged up all the way to Christchurch, all along Dame Street and in O'Connell Street, It's absolutely ridiculous.
"At 9 a.m. today there was a truck parked right on the corner of George's Street and Dame Street delivering stuff. At 11 a.m. there was a truck delivering to a pub and he had the traffic in total chaos.
"I hope these measures work, but I can't see it. They say there are 86 extra guards but they can't be in the one place all the time. Their job is hard enough."
The Dublin Chamber of Commerce said that enforcement of traffic regulations and discipline were crucial in keeping traffic in the city centre moving. It praised" the introduction of a hotline to ensure the speedy reporting of obstructions, breakdowns and accidents.
A spokesman said: "At last there seems to be a move to try to enforce good discipline on city roads. The Chamber congratulates the Minister and says that the Dublin Chamber won't be found wanting in supporting plans that could significantly improve the business environment in the city centre."
The Society of the Irish Motor Industry said the measures would be welcomed by most motorists. However, Mr Cyril McHugh, chief, executive of SIMI, said Dublin urgently required an effective public transport system and an investment in roads circumventing the city.
While 30 per cent of drivers did not want to be in the city centre, cars travelling either north or south had no alternative but to pass through the centre of Dublin, he said.
The upswing in the economy also meant that more people had to travel to work during the rush hour periods.
Green Party councillor Mr John Gormley said Operation Freeflow was "too little too late" and represented a watered down version of the recommended measures of the Dublin Transportation Office. The city needed quality bus lanes and cycle lanes, he said.
"Traffic is an all year problem There is no such thing as rush hour anymore. This is simply tinkering with the system."