Traffic levels fall around the country as a result of Covid-19
Some of country’s busiest motorways and roads have seen traffic fall by more than a third in recent weeks due to the impact of Covid-19.
With huge numbers of people isolating themselves and working from home, busy commuter routes that regularly see thousands of vehicles during rush hour periods have seen major reductions.
Footfall counters have also recorded huge falls in the number of pedestrians on streets with nearly all shops, cafés, restaurants, and bars now shut.
Data from Transport Infrastructure Ireland shows that the number of vehicles on most roads has plummeted in recent days when compared to regular traffic just a few weeks previously.
The M50 motorway in Dublin, close to the Red Cow Roundabout, is one of the busiest sections of road in the country.
On Friday, February 20, the TII recorded more than 168,000 vehicles travelling in both directions on the section of the motorway between junctions seven and nine.
Last Friday, over a similar 24-hour period, the number of vehicles fell by almost a third to 113,754.
On Sunday, just 60,611 vehicles travelled that section of motorway — the quietest day of the year so far.
It was a similar situation in Cork where a traffic counter between the Jack Lynch Tunnel and Mahon recorded more than 78,000 vehicles on St Valentine’s Day, which fell on a Friday,
Last Friday, the number of vehicles had dropped by more than 33% to just over 52,000.
The Killarney bypass recorded 21,562 vehicles on Friday, March 6, the busiest day this year.
However, just two weeks later this figure had fallen to 14,163 a reduction of 34%.
Traffic in Limerick on the M7 near Ballysimon almost halved from the 52,363 vehicles on Friday, February 7 to less than 30,000 last Friday.
Streets in towns and cities across the country have seen similar reductions as businesses, cafes, restaurants, and pubs all shut their doors to prevent the spread of the virus.
The footfall in Dublin city centre fell by 65.8% between March 16 and March 22.
South William St recorded a reduction of 85% while Grafton St saw a reduction of 75% in its footfall.
Business group DublinTown said approximately 200,000 fewer people visited the city centre each day.
Richard Guiney, the group’s chief executive said: “This is an unprecedented event, starkly illustrated by the dramatic decline in city centre footfall.
“St Patrick’s week is traditionally the beginning of the tourist season and one where it’s all hands on deck for many in the hospitality sector.
“However, this year many businesses within the industry had their doors closed."
