A MAJOR business group has come out against a proposal to ban private cars from Dublin's College Green.

Dublin Chamber of Commerce has branded the city council's plan "rash" and said it will cause "undue damage" to trade in the zone.

The bus priority scheme put forward by the Quality Bus Network Office (QBNO), in conjunction with the council, seeks a restriction on general traffic travelling to and from Dame Street.

This would be achieved "through the introduction of a public transport gate at the Grafton Street/College Green Junction", according to a QBNO report.

However, the chamber believes "the decision to introduce the bus gate by July 2009 is premature".

Instead of a blanket ban, it has proposed a "time share" arrangement.

"Under this scheme, public transport vehicles would be given sole access during peak commute times and private vehicles would be given priority access during peak business times, in particular for shoppers," the chamber said in a submission on the bus gate initiative.

"Estimates show that approximately 60pc of the customers of the major retailers located in the area are car based. The revenue from these car-based shoppers plays an important part in the economic life of the city centre in terms of vibrancy and commercial rates," it added.

jigsaw

The Automobile Association has already warned that the proposals will not lead to a "sufficient improvement" in public transport services and may disrupt the commercial life of the area.

However, the council's transportation and traffic committee chairman Sean Kenny (Lab) told the Herald he is in favour of the plan "in principle".

His party colleague Cllr Dermot Lacey said, while he is generally in favour of it, he does not know yet which way he will vote on the plan.

"The problem is we are being asked to approve one part of a jigsaw while the Department of Transport retains authority over all the other parts," he added.

Council chiefs have scheduled a special meeting of the transport committee on April 21 to consider the proposal.

A report, carried out by Goodbody Economic Consultants into the impact on business of the bus gate, will be placed before the committee as well as a report on the public submissions on the plan.

The QBNO document also recommends the introduction of "a bus lane on College Green to prioritise bus movements from College Street to Nassau Street and Dame Street". It also proposes to "upgrade existing pedestrian crossings".

The report proposes having the College Green bus gate scheme implemented before the third quarter of 2009.

hnews@herald.ie

- Cormac Murphy