asked the Minister for Justice if he will consider the advisability of having a number of gardaí specially trained in traffic control with a view to having a standby force constantly available for duty at short notice at strategic points in Dublin when traffic comes to a halt due to contingencies such as bomb scares, sudden malfunctioning of traffic lights, breakdowns and accidents.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Traffic Control.
78.
Mr. R. Burke
All members of the force get training in traffic control and, in Dublin, when serious disruption of traffic is likely, specially experienced gardaí attached to the Traffic Department are directed to the scene without delay. The Commissioner does not consider that there is any need for a special standby unit.
That is an extraordinary answer to this question. Is the Minister aware that there was traffic chaos last week during the Spring Show and to get from the north side to the south side, from the Four Courts to Blackrock, took two hours because of the chaotic conditions that prevailed. I do not want——
A question, Deputy, please.
Does the Minister not consider there is quite a considerable amount of merit in this question? Having regard to last week and to the infamous bomb scares we have had here, if the Minister remembers them, that is not a reasonable answer and cannot be accepted as a reasonable answer in the light of the two instances I have outlined. There were other instances but they were not as important as the two I have mentioned.
Mr. R. Burke
In regard to bomb scares and so on, sufficient gardaí can always be called into an area at short notice by radio. As the Deputy well knows, the gardaí are equipped with radios.
In regard to the traffic problem, surely the Deputy will agree that one of the great difficulties here is the system of roads we have inherited. They are unable to take the volume of traffic and it is that that is causing this tremendous congestion. I would not concede that it is due to lack of gardaí. When lights break down gardaí can be got at short notice. The problem is one for the development of roads rather than for traffic gardaí.