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The Dubliners
Page 38
Page 39
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The Port Tunnel in Dublin was promoted with the promise that it would provide a smoother trip for trucks using Dublin port than the old access routes offered. But with the tunnel now in operation, what effect is it having on other truck movements within Dublin city? They are being managed by the city council, and changes are afoot: • Trucks with five or more axles will be banned from travelling within a defined cordon, roughly between the city canals, between 7am and 7pm on any day. Operators who need to travel within those confines will be required to hold a suitable permit.
• Permits for access will be issued online up to 14 days in advance. Permits may be applied for by a driver, company, shipping agent or the consignee of the load.
• No permit is required to access Dublin port using the tunnel, and no toll is payable in the tunnel by trucks However, according to Michael Phillips, Dublin city engineer and director of traffic, the axle restrictions within the city may become tighter. He explains: "The cordon restrictions will ensure maximum use of the tunnel. It will include five and six axles for now. At a later stage, the cordon restrictions may be extended to four axles."
Availability of permits
Cordon permits will be available on Dublin City Council's website www.dublindtyje from 13 February. To ease the transition, no charge will be levied for a cordon permit until 1 May but after that, a fee of €5 (£3.30) will be charged for each daily permit. Permits allow up to five stops in a day. In addition, from 1 May permits will be issued only for premises that have been registered with the council.
The number of trips made within the cordon will be recorded. Premises in need of deliveries from vehicles with five or more axles will be asked for a 'mitigation plan' showing how they will substantially reduce the number of such deliveries. "The permit scheme is designed to facilitate the transition to minimal use of deliveries by five-axle-plus vehicles within the city cordon," says Phillips. -The intention is to see a year-on-year reduction in the number of permits issued as businesses change to out-of-cordon hours deliveries, or to using smaller delivery vehicles."
The Irish Road Haulage Association was represented in management discussions by its president, Vincent Caulfield, and Dublin haulier Liam Brewer who says: "Deliveries within the city will probably work extremely well, in that there will be an improvement in traffic movement. And the ones that are required to go in, though they will have to have a permit, should have freer access"
South Port Access He says a decision to include the Sean Moore Road on the South Port Access within the cordon means some hauliers have to cross the East Link bridge in the port, head north through the tunnel and travel southwards in a wide arc to access points east or west of the city. "At the moment, it's about 14km from the port to Sandyford industrial estate in the
south. and that will go up to 42km via the M50, because the local road will be closed," says Brewer. For people servicing the city there is going to be a significant improvement but it comes at the expense of others having to go miles out of their way on a very congested route."
The city council is part owner of the East Link Toll Bridge, and says it will refund tolls to hauliers forced to make these diversions. But it will not refund tolls payable at the West Link toll bridge, through which the trucks must also pass, because, according to council officials, it has no financial interest in that operation.
Breaches of cordon restrictions will he treated as moving offences and will be policed by the Garda, not the city council; offenders will be prosecuted through the courts. Fines of up to €800 (E530) will apply for a first offence, rising to €.1,500 (OM) for a second offence and €1,500 plus possible imprisonment for a third.
Access to the cordon area will be via designated entry points. Hauliers can register at www.dublinregionaltrafficie for SMS and
". " V= •
•
Z• 74 .7
e-mail updates if the cordon restrictions are lifted for any reason.Variable message signs on the motorways, in the port and city, will also be updated as required. •