Despite the clear efforts of Dublin’s council, including extensive brightly lit traffic signs spanning Dublin’s Liffey quays and workers clad in noticeable high visibility gear, some drivers on Monday morning seemed oblivious to the changes in city centre traffic regulations.
These changes, in effect from Sunday, ban private and commercial vehicles from driving directly either east or west along the Liffey on either side of O’Connell Bridge between 7am and 7pm.
For drivers on Bachelors Walk on the north quays, the direction is mandated to turn left onto O’Connell Street, heading straight towards Eden Quay to Dublin Port is not permitted. Turning right from Bachelors Walk onto O’Connell Bridge en route to the city’s south side also remains restricted to private traffic.
South side restrictions exist as well, with an embargo on driving straight from Burgh Quay to Aston Quay. Turning left from Westmoreland Street to Aston Quay is also only allowed for public transport and cyclists. Drivers may still cross O’Connell Bridge from the south either by turning right from Burgh Quay or continuing straight from Westmoreland Street to O’Connell Street. In a new relax in rules, drivers can also turn right from O’Connell Bridge onto Eden Quay, a move that was previously exclusive to public transport.
For those seeking to reach Temple Bar from the south quays, the route is to turn left onto D’Olier Street, turn right onto College Street in front of Doyle’s pub, followed by a right turn onto Westmoreland Street, facilitating a left turn into Fleet Street. This route provides access to the Fleet Street car park, Temple Bar private parking and facilitates business deliveries.
Daily restrictions are implemented between 7am and 7pm, nonetheless, unrestricted access is allowed for private vehicles along all northern quays. The only restriction is a small 50m section of Aston Quay, specifically the three buildings nearest to O’Connell Bridge, where cars will be prohibited.
Moreover, uninterrupted access to all the city’s car parks is still available, and cars can cross any accessible Liffey bridge. On Monday morning, traffic was notably sparse on the quays, a pattern which can be attributed to reduced commute volumes in August or perhaps due to the effective communication strategies and signage by the council, according to the Head of Traffic, Brendan O’Brien.
“It’s evident that many have heeded the advance signs we’ve installed and have contemplated their journey through this area. Public transport is flowing smoothly with numerous buses, pedestrians, and cyclists making their way through the bridge,” he admitted. Despite this, numerous drivers, both personal and commercial, have chosen not to take the mandatory turn onto O’Connell Street from Bachelors Walk, instead opting to go straight on to Eden Quay. A similar pattern was observed on the south side, with drivers choosing to continue on to Aston Quay.
In contrast to Sunday, where there were instances in a two-hour afternoon span where car drivers constantly flouted traffic rules, the situation has since improved.
“Any change encounters initial resistance. No matter how explicit our signage, we’ve had people claiming unawareness,” Mr O’Brien conceded. “We’ll continue to monitor it, and plan on meeting with the Garda to discuss observance and foreseen modifications. For the time being, though, the majority are in compliance and it’s clear many individuals have sought alternative routes, which is essentially our aim,” he concluded.