Dublin City Council are ‘bullying drivers’ by blocking car access to parts of the Quays in the city centre, according to a local musician.

Yesterday, DCC approved a new city centre transport plan with measures that include banning cars from Bachelor’s Walk and Aston Quay and blocking the left turn from Westland Row onto Pearse Street.

The plans, which aim to reduce ‘through traffic’ in the city centre, will come into effect in August when just busses, taxis, cyclists and pedestrians will be able to use the street thereafter.

Lunchtime Live listener Peter, a musician who relies on driving to bring his gear in and out of the city for gigs, who said his livelihood would be disrupted under the new plans.

He urged DCC to rethink the decision.

“I think it’s going to cause a lot of problems they are just not looking at,” he said.

“People in wheelchairs have specially adapted cars and can’t use the Luas or a bus to get into the city centre.

“Cyclists have a right to use the road as well but this is like bullying drivers who need access to the city.”

A cycleway along the River Liffey in Dublin. Image: noel bennett / Alamy Stock Photo

The musician said his livelihood would be negatively impacted by the change.

“I do gigs every weekend, Thursday and Friday too, and sometimes I finish late at around 1.30am,” he said.

“It’s not safe to continue to use public transport when I have equipment with me and I need to have to access Temple Bar via turning onto Pearse Street as you can’t go through College Green anymore.

“Taxis are too expensive and they are not convenient or practical.”

'A city is for people'

UCC economics lecturer Dr Declan Jordan said cities are for people, not cars.

“We’ve become accustomed to seeing our cities as transit routes, that the quickest way from point A to B is through the city and we should be allowed to do that,” he said.

“Sorry, but no, a city is not a motorway, a city is not a road – it’s a place for people to do business, hang out, socialise and do things in.

“It’s not a place for cars and our cities were never designed to be placed for cars to be accommodated - we need to shift our thinking on what cities are for.”

Inconvenient

Dr Jordan said the plan “will make it more inconvenient” to drive through the city.

“You will be sitting in more traffic if you take your car with you, so it will be harder and you’ll have to plan your route a lot better,” he said.

“You will still have access to the city, but not have the convenience of going down the quays.

“The number one priority in cities should be pedestrians, those who walk and roll, followed by cyclists and public transport – cars are way down the list.”

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Main image: Bus and cycle lanes on the quays in Dublin, 24-08-2017. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews