We are ‘slaves to the motorcar’ in this country and any delay to plans to ban traffic travelling through Dublin City Centre will only leave us further behind.

That’s according to Newstalk Breakfast host Shane Coleman who was speaking after Fine Gael junior minister Emer Higgins called for the Dublin City Transport Plan to be delayed until at least 2025.

The 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.

Sections of quays on both sides of the river will also be given over to cyclists, pedestrians and public transport – with new civic plazas at the Custom House and Lincoln Place.

Fine Gael’s Emer Higgins on the Dáil plinth, 14-12-2021. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

The plan is due to come into effect in August; however, over the weekend, Ms Higgins said she planned to ask Dublin City Council to pause it until after Christmas at the earliest.

“It's amazing how every time we try and improve our city, there's always naysayers who say, ‘We can't do this, we shouldn't do that,’” said Shane.

“I wonder if, 30 or 40 years ago, would Emer Higgins have opposed taking cars out of Grafton Street – I’m kind of guessing she would.

“We need liveable, breathable, sustainable cities.

“I actually live in Dublin City Centre – and you know what? I'm sick of cars being put first and I'm sick of drivers being put first.

“Let's put people first and let's put people who want to take public transport first – who want to cycle first and want to walk first.”

Transport plan

Ms Higgins called for the plan to be delayed after lobby groups representing businesses and city centre car parks claimed it could have a negative impact on retails sales and jobs.

The transport plan has already gone out to public consultation – with more than 80% of people saying they support plans to cut down on cars in the city centre.

Speaking over the weekend, the Transport Minister Eamon Ryan rejected Ms Higgins call to delay the plan – warning that it has already been delayed too long.

“If they decided to delay now, the people of Dublin would be deeply, deeply upset,” he said.

He warned that the biggest threat to jobs and business in the city is that buses cannot travel through the traffic quickly enough.

"Go a different way"

Shane said the plan does not target people trying to drive into the city centre – but instead cuts down on those who are driving through it.

“Go a different way,” he said. “There’s lots of ways of going around the city centre – there's no shortage of routes around the city centre.

“This will work and we need to do it and we need to embrace it.

“We need to stop putting the car first. We are slaves to the motor car in this country.

“By the way, other cities have done this 20 and 30 years ago. As usual in Ireland, we’re Paddy last and we'll bitch and we'll moan about it the whole way through.”

"Ministerial overreach"

Ms Higgins call for a delay has been labelled “absolutely unacceptable ministerial overreach” by the Dublin Commuter Coalition.

Meanwhile, Social Democrats Councillor Cat O’Driscoll questioned why a junior minister was getting involved in the debate just weeks after 63 councillors were elected to represent the city of Dublin.