Trucks on the Quays - WTF?

ROK ON

Over the past few weeks I have noticed an increasing amount of trucks using the Dublin quays.
Last week I was skimmed by a truck while I was cycling down the South Quays at 445pm.

This morning while walking up the quays from Hueston I counted 4 articulated lorries back to back at 930 am. They were a mixture of five and six axel vehicles.

It seems to me that either the lorry ban has been rescinded or there is an increasing amount o lorries acting in contravention of the van.

Can I ask commuting cyclists to keep an eye out - if you encounter a truck on your commute in Dublin city centre would you post here.

I want to take this to Garda traffic corps and adublin Corporation.

Mods - tue reason I posted here and not motors is that the lorry ban was brought in with one of the aims being to make cycling in the city safer.

Thank you.

Ps - I cannot find any mention anywhere that the van has been relaxed or rescinded. If anyone knows otherwise please advise.

lennymc

i saw a truck on friday heading down middle abbey street. I cycle quite a bit along there and its the first truck ive seen in town in a long long time

650Ginge

lennymc wrote: »

i saw a truck on friday heading down middle abbey street. I cycle quite a bit along there and its the first truck ive seen in town in a long long time

Take the reg and report it. They shouldn't be there.

seamus

I saw an artic driving through Templeogue village last week. And there are cameras checking on that.

I know in certain circumstances a permit can be obtained from DCC to bring a truck through, and other times when the port tunnel has been blocked the cordon has been dropped.

It's worth noting that the ban is only on 5-axle trucks from 7am - 7pm. So outside of these hours, trucks are allow, and most rigid trucks (bin lorries, etc) wouldn't fall under the category of the ban. However, these trucks also seem to have become much more scarce in the city, so it would be easy to think that they're banned too.

A report DCC commissioned last September however indicated that the ban resulted in an 80% drop in HGV traffic outside of the ban hours. Basically drivers and companies have decided that they couldn't be arsed with the city anymore and take the port tunnel regardless of the time of day.

lennymc

the one i saw was an artic complete with trailer at about 4pm in the afternoon coming out of arnotts.

DirkVoodoo

May or may not be related, but I have noticed a distinct lack of Garda presence on the roads in the last few months. I can't remember the last time I saw a checkpoint of any kind. The standard of road care by all road users has really dropped off too. I see a lot of speeding, dangerous undertaking in bus lanes when the bus lane is still in effect. Some of it is shocking.

If there is no enforcement, there will be plenty of flagrant abuse of the traffic laws.

ROK ON

@Dirk - that was my initial view. But now I am seeing so many of them.

Thanks folks.

irishmotorist

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

May or may not be related, but I have noticed a distinct lack of Garda presence on the roads in the last few months.

I've seen Gardai at junctions along the north quays about one morning in every two for the last few weeks, I think.

lennymc

just saw a dutch registered artic up by kildare street.

Doctor Bob

Because of the permit system, you can essentially expect HGVs of any number of axles in any part of town at any time of the day. The permit system seems to me to be open to... if not abuse, then very lax application, and it appears that anyone who wants one gets one.

Also worth noting that Diageo essentially has a permanant dispensation from the ban due to its Liffeyside location.

ROK ON

Wasn't aware of Diageo exemption.

Mot sure that the system is lax, as normally I do not notice any artics on my commute, but since the new year I have witnessed a sizable increase in truck traffic.

petethedrummer

I think the tunnel is occasionally closed at short notice.

I haven't noticed much of an increase in truck traffic myself and I use the quays a lot. I see the odd one now and then. And sometimes at night there might be a small convoy of 2 or 3 from the same haulier where they're probably trying to make up time coming from a delayed ferry.

Wishbone Ash

The ban doesn't apply to any truck which has to drop/pickup within the restricted area. Many shops and city centre businesses are served by trucks with 5 or more axles (eg. Dublin fruit/vegetable market).

And as has been said, the DPT is often closed at very short notice if there is an accident.

(...and,although fairly rare ,some artics have 4 axles and are therefore excluded from the ban).

emtroche

lennymc wrote: »

i saw a truck on friday heading down middle abbey street. I cycle quite a bit along there and its the first truck ive seen in town in a long long time

Theres always artics going in and out of the Jervis Center.