Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

Though specific proposals for the introduction of congestion charging are not being considered at the moment, the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012 states that consideration will be given to the potential introduction of fiscal measures, including road pricing or congestion charging, to reduce transport demand, once adequate supply-side infrastructure is in place.

Congestion charges can incentivise the shift from personal car transport and have been successfully adopted in, for example, London and Stockholm. On its introduction, the London congestion charge reduced congestion by 30% and traffic levels by 18% with a positive net annual revenue. Similarly, the Stockholm congestion charge resulted in weekday traffic falling by 22% and a reduction of 12% in emissions. That was introduced initially on a trial basis and was later adopted following a public referendum.

The success of these schemes is partly due to the availability of public transport alternatives and democratic consensus, following public awareness campaigns. Various types of charge are feasible, including cordon charges and area licences. Technological development provides the means for more sophisticated and targeted pricing schemes.

It is too early to say what, if any, fiscal measures are needed in Ireland. The Government is committed to delivering a sustainable travel and transport action plan this year and I hope to initiate an intensive public consultation process on the issues in the near future. The question of congestion reduction and measures in regard to restricting traffic volumes in Dublin city centre will be explored in more detail during that process.

My Department is in the course of completing a value for money and policy review of the DTO traffic management scheme, which is the basis for the funding of the quality bus corridor, QBC, programme. I will lay the review before the Oireachtas in the coming weeks. This review will inform future decisions on the roll-out of the QBC programme under Transport 21, which contains a target of completing or advancing work on 14 QBCs and bus lanes in the greater Dublin area by year-end in the interest of making public transport more attractive to reduce the use of the private car in the city centre area.

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