Operation Freeflow 'Urgently Needed' To Tackle Congestion

Labour has called for the urgent reinstatement of Operation Freeflow, following the publication of a report on congestion in Dublin.

The report from Inrix revealed that Dublin motorists spent an average of 246 hours in their cars in 2018. Labour Transport spokesperson, Senator Kevin Humphreys, said that the reintroduction of Operation Free flow as a year-round project is needed for the sake of the city centre and the workers struggling to get to work.

Senator Humphreys said: "I have repeatedly raised the need for a reintroduction of Operation Freeflow to deal with the ongoing traffic chaos in Dublin, and many other urban areas. There have been few efforts to manage the growing traffic volumes, and ensure the rules of the road are being observed.

"It is time to bring back Operation Freeflow.

"With heavy traffic and gridlock, most mornings on routes to the city centre demonstrated the need for this. According to today's Inrix study, Dublin is one of the worst cities in the world to drive around. These findings are not surprising for those of us who have been paying attention to traffic flow into Dublin.

"Operation Freeflow was first introduced by the then Minister for Environment Brendan Howlin in December 1996 and the key objective was to ensure that traffic laws were enforced such as keeping junctions, bus lanes and yellow boxes clear.

"The Government and relevant authorities including An Garda Síochána and Dublin City Council should now act to ensure for the next fortnight there is a robust plan in place. Ultimately we need to get the maximum use out of the infrastructure we have, which can only be done by ensuring that traffic laws were enforced such as keeping junctions, bus lanes and yellow boxes clear.

"We have seen long-term proposals in relation to Bus Connects and Metro Link but we must manage the traffic chaos that this currently in effect, and is only going to worsen in the year ahead.

"Perhaps if Minister Ross was as focused on Transport, as he is on legislation outside of his brief, we would have seen a more timely and concerted effort to tackle this issue."