Dublin commuters are reporting long delays with new car restrictions on the quays

Cars have been banned from turning right onto to O’Connell Bridge at Bachelors Walk since Sunday and as a result motorists are reporting long delays.

The traffic situation will become even more acute when the summer holidays come to an end are the school are back.

As well as cars being banned from turning right from Bachelors Walk on to O’Connell Bridge, traffic has been reduced to one lane from Ormond Quay to Eden Quay on the north side and from Burgh Quay to Essex Quay on the south side, to create additional bus lanes.

Traditionally, traffic volumes are much lower during August and the summer months but even so motorists say they are experiencing long delays on the quays and have also commented on the lack of Garda presence along the route especially at O’Connell Bridge.

On motorist, Laura McManus had this to say about her commute driving on the north quays between 8am and 9am.

“Well it has taken about an hour to come up from Heuston Station. Last Monday I probably did it in about 15 minutes,”

Jim Kavanagh, a Dublin Bus driver, said despite the priority lanes afforded to buses, his journey to the city centre had taken longer than normal.

“The problem here today is with the bus lanes being changed and everything being redirected – there is not one single copper on duty today, nobody knows where to go.”

A Garda spokesman said traffic management was not a matter for An Garda Síochána.

“These traffic management measures speak for themselves. The regulation and management of traffic is not a Garda matter, it’s a matter for the local authority.”

Electronic signage warning of the changes were in place “all over the city”

A spokeswoman for Dublin City Council said:

“We had discussions with An Garda Síochána in connection to the implementation of this measure, regarding enforcement and Garda attendance at site if required,”

Although there were delays possibly due to confusion over the new traffic plan, Dublin Bus said it had received “positive feedback” from drivers and customers about improvements to journey times.

“Dublin City Council reported to us that between 8am and 9am, recorded customer journey times on our services were reduced by over 40 per cent,”

“We are monitoring journey times on all services operating along the quays and we are confident that these measures will continue to benefit our customers and tackle congestion in the city centre.”

Motorists will be able to access Eden Quay, but with only one traffic lane open private cars and they will still be able to turn left on to O’Connell Street.

The right-hand turn on to the bridge will be reserved for buses, taxis and bicycles, and cars will be held back by new traffic signals on Bachelors Walk to allow buses to move into the right lane to take the turn.

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Justin Kavanagh
Justin Kavanagh is a recognised leader in automotive intelligence and vehicle data supply to the entire motor industry. He has almost 20 years experience in building systems from the ground up. As the Managing Director of Vehicle Management System, he understands the need and importance of trustworthy and reliable vehicle history and advice to both the trade and the public.
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