Today marks the implementation of a private car traffic prohibition on a portion of Dublin’s north and south quays, reports RTE.
According to Dublin City Council, the first part of the transport strategy is intended to stop automobiles and delivery vans from passing through the city without stopping.
Retailers, meanwhile, are worried about how the restrictions would affect their bottom line.
The proposal, which has been discussed and revised over the last year, will drastically alter how private automobiles travel through the city centre as of right now.
Early this morning, council employees were on the north and south quays informing drivers of the new traffic arrangement, reports RTE.
The rare private driver continued to pass past the new bus gates, but most followed the instructions.
Cars and delivery vehicles are no longer able to go from Bachelors Walk to Eden Quay on the north quays.
Rather, they have to go up O’Connell Street on the left.
It is not possible to drive directly from Burgh Quay to Aston Quay on the south quays.
They are not permitted to turn left from Westmoreland Street to Aston Quay, however they are permitted to turn right into O’Connell Street or left onto D’Olier Street, reports RTE.
The new regulations are in effect Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and do not apply to bicycles, buses, or taxis.
Dublin City Council has said that all cars are permitted to travel as usual outside of the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. timeframe and that loading bays, taxi ranks, and disability bays remain unchanged.
Most of the routes to parking lots in the city centre and hospitals will not change.
It stated that although homeowners’ access will be preserved, there could be an alternate route to or from the region, reports RTE.
It said that the goal of the traffic management techniques is to address the fact that 60% of general traffic in the city centre is just passing through the area rather than stopping, working, or shopping.
However, companies like Diageo, whose trucks transport 75% of their beer production from St. James Gate to Dublin Port, are worried about the effects, reports RTE.
The measures won’t take full effect until after the conclusion of the school break.
The goal of the initiatives, according to Dublin City Council’s head of technical services Brendan O’Brien, is to reduce the amount of traffic in the city centre.
He declared: “We understand that individuals would still need to travel as much as possible to get into the city. These controls are intended to maintain access for deliveries and parking lots,” reports RTE.
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