Lifesaver plan 'neglected'

Most gardaí attached to the Dublin Regional Traffic Unit use motorcycles to ease traffic blockages in the city centre under Operation Artery, sources said. Only a small number of gardaí are put on Operation Lifesaver duty daily in the regional unit, they said.

Concerns have been raised that as a result, bad and dangerous driving outside the centre is largely undetected. The two unmarked cars, furnished with specialised camera equipment, in the unit are not being used and two marked cars are rarely employed. In addition, of the two Gatso vans in the unit, only one is occasionally out.

Sources said most gardaí in the unit use motorbikes on Operation Artery duty essentially to ensure the smooth flow of traffic around the city, particularly in the city centre. "It is amazing that the Government is talking about having a new traffic police out nationwide, yet in Dublin, in the main division, there seems to be no commitment to Operation Lifesaver," one source said. It is only when Operation Artery commitments are filled that remaining staff are assigned to Operation Lifesaver duties.

Likewise, staff due to work on Operation Lifesaver are often assigned to Operation Artery, also known as Operation Freeflow, if not all the motorcycles are being used. Sources point out that the unmarked Ford Mondeo cars are particularly good at detecting dangerous driving. The cars are very mobile, but also have video equipment on board to record bad or reckless driving. The Gatso vans white Ford Transit vans are stationary, but catch more errant motorists and are more visible to them. A garda spokeswoman said there are approximately 110 staff attached to the regional unit, working in shifts. However, details could not be provided as to the specific commitment to Operation Lifesaver.

Asked how many people work on Operation Lifesaver, on average, each day, the spokeswoman said the information was not available. "The numbers vary all the time. There are no figures. They are deployed as required depending on the exigencies on a particular day," she said. The spokeswoman said vehicles may not be used on a given day if officers designated to drive them are in court or if vehicles need to be serviced.

Last week, the Association of Garda Sergeants & Inspectors called for more resources for traffic units to tackle the high rate of road fatalities. The AGSI said traffic units had to be used as a means of improving road behaviour, and not just as a "cash-generating" exercise for the Government.