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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 Mar 2001

Vol. 532 No. 2

Written Answers. - Traffic Congestion.

John Perry

Question:

156 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the results of a major survey which show that Dublin is bottom of the international league for the speed of business deliveries where it takes 57 minutes in Dublin and only 13 minutes in London for business delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7192/01]

The Dublin Transportation Office, which operates under the aegis of my Department, co-ordinates and monitors the implementation of the Dublin transportation initiative strategy. I am satisfied that satisfactory progress is being made with the implementation of the DTI strategy and that significant and important measures are under way to tackle traffic congestion in the greater Dublin area.

The DTO policy document, A Platform for Change, which was launched by the Taoiseach on 2 October 2000, sets out a comprehensive integrated strategy to respond to the transportation needs of the greater Dublin area, GDA, in the period to 2016. This strategy document updates and builds substantially on progress achieved under the Dublin transportation initiative final report already approved by the Government in 1995, taking account of the strategic planning guidelines published in 1999. Further work is being completed on the detail of the strategy, including an examination of the various demand management options available with a view to ensuring that the greatly enhanced public transport facilities, which will be provided, will be utilised to the greatest extent possible.

The total estimated capital cost of the strategy is £14.2 billion and implementation is expected to result in a high quality public transport service being available to most people within ten minutes walking distance of where they live, increase the share of the market accounted for by public transport from 35% to 65%, reduce congestion, improve accessibility and result in significant environmental gains including reductions in energy use and emissions below what they would be otherwise. During the period 1994 to 2000, the Dublin Transportation Office paid out grants amounting to £71.5 million on traffic management schemes in the greater Dublin area. Under the national development plan, over £3 billion is provided to continue DTI related funding through the period 2000 to 2006.

The DTO is currently preparing a new short-term action plan, designed to advance and accelerate a set of measures, consistent with the DTI strategy, which can be completed in the period to end 2003. This plan will be completed in the near future. Good progress was made with the implementation of the last short-term action plan which covered the period 1998 to 2000. For example, all 150 of the planned new buses have been delivered; work is proceeding on the plan ning, design and implementation of the quality bus corridor, QBC, network with five QBCs now in operation and four to be introduced before the end of April 2001; the programme of platform lengthening is well under way; delivery of the additional DART rolling stock and railcars has commenced and the upgrading of the Maynooth-Clonsilla rail line has been completed. The measures being implemented and those planned to reduce traffic congestion will have positive effects for the speed of business deliveries.
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