Denis Naughten
Question:78 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Transport the measures he has taken over the past 12 months to address the chronic traffic congestion in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14016/03]
Ceisteanna – Questions (Resumed). Priority Questions. - Traffic Management.
The Government has been pro-active in its response to the challenge of traffic congestion in Dublin and has shown its continued commitment to enhancing transport infrastructure in Dublin through unprecedented levels of investment. Within the national development plan, a wide range of initiatives have been taken to upgrade transport infrastructure and services and to reduce congestion.
The Dublin Transportation Office policy document, "A Platform for Change", sets out a comprehensive integrated strategy to respond to the transportation needs of the greater Dublin area in the period to 2016. As part of the DTO strategy, a number of major public transport improvements are currently under way, and these combined with traffic management measures and improvements to the road infrastructure in the Dublin area are expected to have significant impact on traffic flows in Dublin in the short to medium term.
Demonstrable improvements in public transport arrangements and services have been achieved since 2000 under the current national development plan. There are now nine quality bus corridors in place in Dublin and I have recently asked the relevant authorities in the Dublin area to bring forward plans to double this number. Six of the existing QBCs have been reviewed to identify areas for further improvement. A quality bus network project office has been established to speed up the introduction of additional bus priority measures.
Since 1997, Dublin Bus has embarked on a major fleet replacement and expansion programme. By the end of 2002, the fleet capacity of Dublin Bus increased by more than 23% compared with 1999. As a consequence, more than one third of the Dublin Bus fleet is now low floor and fully accessible. Bus Éireann has also significantly increased its capacity on commuter routes.
Major capacity improvements have been made to suburban rail services, with a significant increase in capacity on the Maynooth line in 2001. In addition, there has been almost a 50% increase in the number of DART cars since 2000 with a further 40 DART cars ordered which will be delivered next year.
The DTO traffic management grants are funding measures such as the strategic cycle network, pedestrian routes, computerised traffic signal control systems, travel and parking information systems and the development of local integrated land use and transport framework plans. Already, there are more than 170 kilometres of dedicated cycle-ways.
Taxi numbers in the Dublin area have increased in excess of 200%. Later this year, Irish Rail will bring into service 76 additional railcars for operation on Dublin suburban rail services while next year the Luas will become operational. In 2005, a further 40 DART cars will be put into service. Projects worth some €1.4 billion are currently under construction in the Dublin area.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Deciphering what the Minister said, the only thing to happen in the past year was a 200% increase in the number of taxis, a matter we will come to later. In light of the fact that there are only four Garda motorcycles to keep traffic moving in the evening rush hour, that there will be traffic chaos at the Red Cow intersection and at Newland's Cross when Luas becomes operational, that both Luas and the port tunnel are running well over-budget and that the port tunnel will not be able to cater for high super-trucks, that the Phoenix Park tunnel has been left out of the strategic rail review and that we are still waiting for the direction signs for Dublin which were supposed to come in last autumn and which the Minister made the city council revise, is it not the case that absolutely nothing has happened in the year since the Minister took office except for the dramatic increase in taxi numbers? Even with that increase, there are no controls or standards in regard to who gets taxi licences.
In the past year, substantial progress has been made on three big projects which will significantly help the traffic flow. The completion of the Luas, the M50 and the tunnel in the coming years – the M50 project is in the courts but we can presumably deal with that soon, and the tunnel should be finished in about 48 months – will have an impact.
Nonetheless, I must be honest about this. The number of cars registered in the Dublin area is growing dramatically. In 1993, 25,000 private cars were registered in Dublin city in one year; this year, almost 70,000 were registered. In one decade, the rate of car ownership has grown dramatically, which has to do with lower interest rates and better standards of living generally. However, these three projects will help greatly.
As the Deputy rightly pointed out, the number of taxis has increased from 3,000 to 11,000 in Dublin city in just over a year. A number of new quality bus corridors have been and are being put in place. These measures will help substantially.
However, it will be a constant battle. I will not, as Minister for Transport, tell the House that one fine day there will be no traffic jams or traffic. When the Deputy's time comes – or whoever it might be – to be in Government, I wish him luck if he makes the statements he has made today. The reality is that space is tight on the streets and the pace at which motor cars are being bought means that it will be an ongoing battle. We must make the necessary investments and be creative in traffic management to keep on top of this.
The Minister points out that the opening up of Luas will have a dramatic impact. He is correct in that there will be a Mad Cow roundabout at the M50 where no-one will be able to get through.
Why have the quality bus corridors which have been launched or pencilled in not been opened? There is no co-ordination between Dublin City Council and some of the local authorities around Dublin to ensure that the quality bus corridors are put in place. Will the Minister ensure we can utilise the existing road space by ensuring there is a sufficient number of gardaí on the streets to keep the clearways open and the traffic moving? Will he extend the operating hours of Dublin Port? Those are two initiatives the Minister could have taken in the past 12 months and which have not been taken to date.
I want to be clear about where the Deputy is coming from. I have not even considered extending the operating hours of Dublin Port. What hours does the Deputy suggest?
Currently heavy goods vehicles drive along the quays during rush hour. Would it not be more sensible to have them coming into and leaving the port at other times during the day?
If the Deputy is suggesting 24 hours operation of the port, I will examine that suggestion, if it is practical, with my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, who deals with that area, although I am not sure what issues would arise.
In regard to QBCs, currently there are nine and I decided the other day that the Department of Transport would make funds available to increase the number to 18 in Dublin and to do that, if possible, in a 12 month period. We also agreed to provide funds, for the first time, for a quality bus corridor in the city of Cork and to provide Galway and Limerick with quality bus corridors.