Dublin Chamber, the group which represents businesses in the Dublin region, has welcomed Dublin City Council’s decision to alter plans to ban private cars from Eden Quay.

In a submission to the Council last month, the Chamber had expressed strong concerns about the lack of information regarding how the displacement of cars was likely to affect other parts of the city. According to Mary Rose Burke, CEO of Dublin Chamber:

“We are pleased to see that Dublin City Council has listened to the deep concerns of the business community regarding the proposed changes. Everyone accepts that change is required in order to accommodate Luas Cross City, a much- needed new piece of infrastructure. The Council has proposed a number of individual plans for areas such as College Green and Eden Quay, but there is a real lack of clarity about how these changes will all work together. Any changes in these areas won’t just affect the core centre – but the entire city, out to the M50.”

She added: “The Council’s various plans are all aimed at reducing the number of car journeys in Dublin and getting more people to switch to public transport and other sustainable modes. Dublin Chamber welcomes and supports this approach. However, as it stands, the public transport offering is inadequate in Dublin due to years of underinvestment and a lack of proper joined-up planning. If we’re serious about making parts of the city car free, then any changes must be made in tandem with an increased focus on improving the public transport offering and big improvements to cycling and walking Infrastructure. We look forward to continuing to work with Dublin City Council to ensure that Dublin is a city that works for, and is accessible to, everyone.”