Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Jun 2000

Vol. 521 No. 4

Written Answers. - Transport Problems.

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

193 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the steps he is taking to deal with the chronic traffic and transport problems in the Dublin area; and if car sharing and staggered working and school hours are being considered. [17395/00]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

The Dublin Transportation Initiative – DTI – strategy, which was published in 1995 with a planning horizon to 2011, provides the framework for a wide range of initiatives to respond to Dublin's transportation needs. These include major infrastructure projects such as Luas, the Dublin Port tunnel and completion of the Dublin C-ring, other improvements in public transport, such as quality bus corridors, and traffic and parking management measures.

Progress with the construction and planning of these infrastructure projects is indicated in current work being undertaken on the extension of the DART, the southern cross motorway, and ministerial approvals to the Tallaght/Abbey Street and Sandyford/St. Stephen's Green links of the Luas, the Dublin Port tunnel and the south eastern and northern motorways. By the end of 1999, an estimated £500 million had been invested in Dublin transport management and infrastructure within the DTI framework. Under the national development plan, over £3 billion is provided to continue DTI related funding through the period 2000-2006.

Good progress is being made with implementation of the Dublin Transportation Office – DTO – short-term action plan which is designed to advance and accelerate a set of measures, consistent with the DTI strategy, which can be completed in the period to end 2000. For example, all 150 of the planned new buses have been delivered; work is proceeding on the planning, design and implementation of the quality bus corridor – QBC – network with three QBCs now in operation; 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 is due for completion by end 2000.

In addition, the Office of Director of Traffic, Dublin Corporation, has been established to bring greater concentration and efficiency to traffic administration within the city and has already achieved significant improvements in parking enforcement and traffic engineering.

For the longer term, the DTO is now finalising an update to the original DTI strategy, taking account of the strategic planning guidelines published in 1999 and of a planning horizon to 2016. This process will facilitate consideration of all relevant measures, including those referred to in the question.