Fahey's Bank Holiday publicity stunt

[FakeViking]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0505/dublin.html

Radical new traffic plan for Dublin
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Frank Fahey, Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, says large sections of Dublin city centre could be closed to all private cars
28k - http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/morningireland/2370034.smil



Instead of doing his job and discussing the draft report at his Committee, this chancer tries to grab a few headlines on a quiet Bank Holiday Monday.

[Bray Head]

The details were already in yesterday's SBP: http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/...story32625.asp

If implemented this would mean quite a radical change to how traffic is managed within Dublin. I think this forum is better suited to debating its merits or demerits rather than having a cheap go at Frank Fahey.

[stanley]

Does he not have a load of personal dubious properties to be looking after rather than poking his nose into areas where he has no expertise, waste of space this guy, Cowen should dump him.

[alonso]

Does he not have a load of personal dubious properties to be looking after rather than poking his nose into areas where he has no expertise, waste of space this guy, Cowen should dump him.

If politicians only spoke on their areas of expertise, it would be a very quiet chamber there on Kildare st.

btw this plan is excellent, years overdue and it's great news that our politicians have started to seriously consider it. I hope cllr and the rest of DCC promote this idea. It seems radical for Dublin, but it's not in any way radical to treasure your primary civic throughfare by maximising access to it.

[RAF]

Would he consider banning Dublin fans from Croke Park for the summer? I don't imagine that they'll be hanging around after August anyway but the less we have to hear from them the better.

[FakeViking]

The Labour Party's idea of a standard one euro fare for all Bus services in Dublin is a much simpler, better idea than this trivial stunt.

On another note, he wants to build new Bailey bridges. I thought the bould Brothers expertise was in half-finished housing estates and avoiding tax!

[Bray Head]

There seems to be no town or city left in Ireland where it takes anything longer than half a minute to hail a taxi. In my book this is a very good thing compared to the situation that prevailed for many years.

The plan (as reported) suggests that the areas in question will still be accessible to taxis. I don't see how this will serve to reduce congestion. Taxis take up just as much space as private cars and given their essentially unlimited supply it could well end up with just as much traffic on the road as now.

Basically it looks like they've fudged yet again on the hard decision of introducing a congestion charge.

As for buses the plan implies a level of confidence in the ability of Dublin Bus to deliver on staffing, timetabling and punctuality that historical experience doesn't tend to justify. And even still, buses are SLOW because they stop too often, everyone has to get on before anyone else can get on and then hold up the people behind them while they pay the driver.

[essexboy]

Why is a culchie spouting off about Dublin problems?

And how would people from the country get their shopping out of Clerys on 8 December if this scheme went ahead?

[droghedasouth]

Since when is the minutiae of Dublin traffic the preserve of a Dail Committee?

[Simbo67]

Well despite it being Fahey, the proposal is really interesting and the shorter term nature of it is very interesting too. They have used the Macken Street Bridge construction as an excuse not to do too much in the city centre short term. The bridges to increase the possibility of short term changes.