Labour Transport Spokesperson Tommy Broughan T.D. has criticized the delay in planning and rolling out the public information campaign for the upcoming new bus gate system in Dublin City Centre.

Deputy Broughan said, "The peak-time ban on cars in College Green in Dublin City Centre is due to come into operation on July 27th. So it is very disappointing that the publicity campaign to inform people about the new arrangements for the bus gate system and ban on cars during peak hours is still not finalised. It is astonishing, in fact, that the public information campaign will not begin until very close to the July 27th deadline. Many constituents and commuters have already been in touch because they are very unclear about how the new arrangements will affect their daily commute even though the July 27th deadline is looming.

"City traders and businesses are also gravely concerned that if the car ban is not rolled out properly the message will go out that Dublin City Centre is not "open for business". This is clearly the last thing that City traders need in the current dire economic circumstances. At a Dail Transport Committee meeting in April, I warned that trade in Dublin City Centre could be crucified if the car ban was not properly planned and implemented. In Sheffield in the UK, for example, local businesses claimed that business, shopping and commercial life in the city centre was "sterilized" due to the mismanagement of traffic arrangements for major infrastructural works.

"It is also disappointing that the car ban has not been accompanied by a number of promised key transport reforms for Dublin including the opening of the Samuel Beckett Bridge at Macken Street and integrated ticketing, real time information and Automatic Vehicle Location systems for Dublin Bus.

"Transport Minister Noel Dempsey and Dublin City Manager John Tierney must now urgently step in and address this issue as a matter of urgency to avoid any chaos in Dublin City Centre from July 27th."