Bus journey times in Dublin are 20% faster since restrictions on car travel in the city centre were brought in last month.

Cars have been banned from driving from Bachelors Walk towards Eden Quay on the north quays and from Burgh Quay towards Aston Quay on the southside since August 25th.

At a meeting last night to monitor the restrictions heard that journey times on public transport have fallen by 20%.

Meanwhile, Dublin Lord Mayor James Geoghegan told Newstalk that the number of cars on the north and south quays has dropped by over 60% - with no impact on the number of people coming into the city centre.

“We heard from various representatives of the retail sector,” he said. 

“It would be fair to say it is a mixed bag but what the Dublin Town organisation is showing on their footfall counters that they have around the city, is that footfall is up.” 

The Dublin City Transport Plan starts this Sunday 25th of August 2024. @LordMayorDublin James Geoghegan has urged motorists to make themselves aware of the changes.
Starting from 7am to 7pm this Sunday 25th of August, general traffic will not be able to go straight from… pic.twitter.com/Tu7LzlHHqq

— Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) August 23, 2024

Cllr Geoghegan said he hopes that figure will increase further ahead of Christmas. 

“What we all agreed collectively as a group, was that we would work towards a plan to encourage more people to come into the city centre - particularly in the run up to Christmas,” he said. 

“It was a meeting that will hopefully assist in the future plans that we’re going to make with traffic and transport in Dublin city centre.”

In its Climate Action Plan 2021, the Government announced a target of an additional 500,000 daily trips made by public transport or active travel.

Main image: A Dublin Bus in the city centre, 20-8-14. Image: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland