asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if he will outline the objectives which have been set for the Dublin Transportation Task Force which was set up to replace the Dublin Transport Authority; the work which has been done to date by the task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Dublin Transportation Task Force.
26.
As decided by Government, the Dublin Transportation Task Force was reconstituted in January 1988 with the following terms of reference: first to co-ordinate on a non-statutory basis, traffic management and bus priority activities in the Dublin area, devising new schemes where appropriate; second, to settle annually the priorities for funding traffic management and bus priority schemes within its budget allocation in the Tourism and Transport Vote (£165,000 for 1988 and £174,000 for 1989) and third, by these and other appropriate means to pursue the stated aims of reducing traffic congestion, especially at peak times, and promoting and facilitating the use of public transport services.
The reconstituted task force has been meeting regularly and, in pursuit of the objectives set out in its terms of reference, has embarked on a work programme which builds on the achievements of its predecessors. The chief initiatives which it has undertaken to date are (1) the extension and enhancement of the closed circuit television (CCTV) traffic monitoring system, including the development of its potential benefits for bus operations; (2) an on-going review of the city's bus lane system; (3) moves to complete the existing computerised urban traffic control (UTC) traffic signal system; (4) promotion of efforts to improve traffic circulation particularly through improved enforcement of parking restrictions and improved controls on road openings; (5) submission of inputs relating to transport and traffic to the Dublin planning authorities and to An Bord Pleanála.
I am continually monitoring the progress of the task force and I am fully confident of its ability to make an effective contribution to the improvement of the operating environment for public transport and for traffic in general.