“That’s not to say that there will be no restrictions or no disruptions to services in the city centre, because there will be.”
As Dublin prepares to accommodate the Papal visit this weekend, road closures and general delays are to be anticipated.
CEO of the National Transport Authority (NTA) Anne Graham has moved to allay concerns ahead of the busy few days, reiterating that public transport in Dublin will continue with a service level that will operate “as close as possible” to a normal weekend schedule.
“While the Papal visit and the events surrounding it will cause some disruption, it is important to point out that Dublin Bus, Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and Luas will be operating a very comprehensive service on both Saturday and Sunday,” said Graham in a statement issued on Friday afternoon.
“An Garda Síochána will be setting up a Controlled Access Zone, but generally speaking, restrictions on private motorists entering the zone do not apply to buses, trains and trams,” she continued.
“In any case, those particular restrictions apply only on Sunday, although Gardaí will be closing some roads as necessary on Saturday.”
Graham encouraged people to come into the city centre over the weekend, regardless of whether or not they are attending Pope-related events, noting that businesses and venues will be operating as normal.
“That’s not to say that there will be no restrictions or no disruptions to services in the city centre, because there will be,” Graham added.
“What it does mean, though, is that operators will be making every effort to get their customers as close as they can to where they want to go and need to be, throughout the weekend.”
For a full list of events and planned disruptions relating to the Papal visit, click here.
For a breakdown of RTÉ’s television coverage across the weekend, click here.
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