'Doomsday scenarios' around the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan 'haven't been borne out', the Transport Minister has said.
The transport plan came into force last Sunday in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion in the city centre.
It has seen mixed reaction with private cars no longer being able to drive down the north quays after Bachelor’s Walk and down the south quays after Burgh Quay from 7am to 7pm.
Minister Eamon Ryan told The Hard Shoulder the transport plan will take time to settle in.
"It is working. I think some of the doomsday scenarios some people said haven't been borne out," he said.
"It'll take time. These things always do take time to settle in."
Minister Ryan said it's not the first time people have doubted transport changes.
"I've been involved in transport campaigns for about 30, 40 years," he said.
"I can remember going right back when we pedestrianised Grafton Street [people said] this would be disastrous.
"When we pedestrianised Henry Street [people said] this would be disastrous - it wasn't, in fact, we've never gone back."
'Not just Dublin'
Minister Ryan said the transport plan itself is open to change.
"If something doesn't work you can always [reverse it] because these are relatively easy measures to introduce in terms of civil engineering," he said.
"The experience we've had and what we're seeing in cities right across the world is when you really create an effective public transport system, when you make it safe to walk and cycle, and also provide access to the car, which is what we're doing here... Dublin's going to be better [for it].
"It isn't just Dublin - we need to do this in Cork, Waterford and Limerick.
"We need balanced regional developments in other cities. So this is part of a process."
Enforcement
Responding to messages from bus drivers of motorists breaking the rules in Dublin, Minister Ryan said enforcement is key.
"We will have to make sure there is adequate enforcement," he said.
"I think it's really important we listen to [bus drivers].
"One of the main reasons on this [transport plan] is that we get our busses going fast - it's really important."
'This is not anti-car'
Minister Ryan reiterated that the transport plan is not about restricting access to the city.
"This is not anti-car, this is not trying to restrict access to the city - it's the exact opposite, it's trying to increase access to the city," he said.
"We do that best in terms of a bus carrying 70 passengers, flying along the quays and into town and back out again, is serving everyone's purposes.
"So we're going to have to enforce it."
Minister Ryan added that he'll be talking to Justice Minister Helen McEntee "if we do have any problem in terms of people not obeying the law".
