Water taxi plan urged to beat gridlock

Dublin’s business community wants to use the River Liffey to beat the city’s daily traffic chaos.

The capital’s Chamber of Commerce today called for a water-taxi service as part of a bid to beat a rush-hour near-gridlock on the streets.

The organisation also urged the establishment of a part-time traffic policing unit at the busiest times of the day on the roads.

The pleas for action were made in a report seeking short-term measures to improve traffic conditions in central Dublin over the next two years.

The report coincided with an unprecedented period of roadworks in Dublin connected with the construction of a tunnel to the city’s port and a new light rail transport system, which has coincided with record numbers of cars on the roads.

The full list of measures recommended by the chamber was:

:: A part-time police unit to enforce traffic regulations at peak periods

:: A water-borne taxi service around Dublin Bay and docklands areas

:: A transfer ticketing system for use on both buses and trains during specified two-hour periods

:: Government funding to upgrade existing suburban rail services and increase passenger capacity by 40%

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Gina Quinn said: ‘‘We are highlighting the fact that while Dublin is waiting for the delivery of key pieces of transport infrastructure, there are a number of moves that could be adopted to improve matters up to 2004.’’

:: The Government today launched a €40m investment in water-based tourism and leisure initiatives around the country’s coastline.

Marine and Natural Resources Minister Frank Fahey said the aim was to create ‘‘a necklace of marinas around the Irish coast’’.

He maintained that the scheme, drafted as part of the National Development Plan, would utilise the marine environment - ‘‘Ireland’s greatest natural asset’’ - and said it had the potential to generate hundreds of jobs and deliver economic benefits to almost every coastal county in Ireland.