Future congestion charge for Dublin

A government minister has outlined plans to solve Dublin's traffic problems by giving the city a directly-elected mayor with the powers to impose a congestion zone.


John Gormley, minister for environment, heritage and local government, said the directly elected mayor would be the head of Dublin’s transport authority.

Mr Gormley said: “One of the great success stories of the London Mayoralty is the way they have transformed transport in that city.

“Anyone who has visited London will see that the city has been transformed.”

The congestion zone in London remains a topic of debate, where supporters say it has reduced pollution through less traffic while critics say businesses within the zone have suffered from reduced numbers of customers.

A new green paper launched by Mr Gormley envisages a directly elected mayoral election occurring under government proposals by 2011.

People in Ireland have said a change to the vehicle registration tax system will encourage them to purchase a car with lower emissions.

A survey by the Irish Taxation Institute found that 59% of people would be encouraged to buy lower emissions vehicles under new government plans to change to tax system, according to RTE.

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe