asked the Minister for Local Government whether any estimate has been made of the daily manpower and economic losses caused by traffic jams in Dublin city; if so, what was the result thereof; and if not, if he will have such an estimate made.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Traffic Jams.
15.
Mr. Ryan
I am not aware that any such estimate has been made. In regard to the last part of the question, I think it better that our energies should be directed towards removing the causes of traffic jams in Dublin city rather than to the task of measuring precisely the economic and other losses caused by them.
Will the Minister agree that while it is desirable to remove traffic jams, wherever that can be done, it is not desirable to do so to the extent of removing the traffic altogether? It is a very desirable thing to remove traffic jams but it must be remembered that one of the main purposes of transport is to bring people into the city to do their business there. We can remove all the traffic jams if we remove the traffic. Will the Minister look at the streets at the moment, just two weeks before Christmas, and see the effect that these regulations are having?