Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 298: To ask the Minister for Transport if his Department has investigated the cost to the economy of traffic congestion in the greater Dublin area; if so, the outcome of such investigations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43627/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I am very conscious of the adverse impacts of traffic congestion on the economy and on the national well-being. The need to tackle congestion is one of the key aims of Transport 21. Transport 21 provides funding for measures to relieve congestion in the Greater Dublin Area in a number of ways — through the provision of increased public transport services, through investment in improved traffic management systems and the improvement of the road network. Transport 21 will transform the public transport system in the Greater Dublin Area through the development of an integrated network of light rail, Metro, heavy rail and buses running on an expanded Quality Bus Network. This will lead to almost a doubling of public transport passenger journeys by 2015. This, together with the upgrading of the M50 and new traffic management systems will make a major contribution to reducing congestion in the capital. The establishment of a Dublin Transport Authority will provide a coordinated approach to the issue of traffic management and will, therefore, result in improvements to traffic flow.