Dublin’s new car restrictions have not been ‘watered down’ weeks before they are due to be rolled out, the head of Dublin City Council has insisted.

The Dublin City Centre Transport Plan will see cars banned from a range of new areas in the city – with space given over to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport instead.

It includes removing traffic from the College Green area and pedestrianising Parliament Street.

Several Dublin city councillors had expressed concern at plans to water down the restrictions.

Dublin City Council CEO Richard Shakespeare told Newstalk Breakfast the transport plan was changed following further considerations.

"The councillors at a special meeting in April asked us to do closer engagement with the disabled persons' organizations," he said.

"We did that and, I suppose, originally, it was going to be from Jervis Street down - but they pointed out, in terms of the blue badge holders, that it would remove a large portion of the quays, the north quays in particular, from blue badge holders.

"Under the roads regulations they're treated like everybody else except when it comes to car parking.

"What we did was we listened to that".

Heavy traffic on the quays in Dublin, 24-4-21. Image: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

Mr Shakespeare outlined some of the changes that are coming.

"You can now turn left on to O'Connell Street, you can't go straight ahead - that'll be 7am to 7pm initially," he said.

"Then on the south quays you'll be able to turn left on to D'Olier Street and around and we've introduced the right turn from O'Connell Bridge on to Eden Quay".

'The city will remain open to traffic'

Mr Shakespeare described the transport plan as "the first intervention".

"We all subscribe - the councillors, the citizens by way of the development plan - to reduce the number of cars coming into the city by 40%," he said.

"What we're trying to rid of is the through traffic [where] the city centre isn't the destination.

"The city centre will remain open to traffic and I want to slay that sort of myth that the world is going to end in terms of car traffic.

"It'll be more difficult but you will still be able to access [the city centre]," he added.

The transport plan is due to come into effect in August despite some calls for it to be delayed.

Main image: Severe traffic delays on the South Quays in Dublin city centre in March 2023. Image: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie