No you haven’t been imagining it, traffic is almost as bad as ever

"The gap between 2021 and 2019 figures is gradually declining."

The latest data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Monday has revealed that car traffic levels are now at 90% of what they were in August 2019 in Dublin and 88% in regional areas. The latest CSO Transport Bulletin report also revealed there was an increase of nearly 7% for clearances of petrol in July 2021 compared with the levels in July 2020. However, July 2021 petrol clearance volumes were still 10% below July of 2019. “Today’s figures from the CSO show that car traffic volumes have not returned to pre-Covid-19 levels but the gap between 2021 and 2019 figures is gradually declining," Statistician Nele van der Wielen said on Monday. "Latest available data for the week beginning 30 August (week 35) show that the volume of private cars in regional locations are 5% higher than in the same week of 2020, however, car traffic volumes are still 12% lower than in week 35 of 2019." In August 2021, 8,563 new private cars were licensed in Ireland, compared with 7,360 in August 2020 an increase of 16%, compared with 7,202 new private cars licensed in August of 2019. There was also an increase of 3% for road fatalities, as 99 fatalities occurred on Irish roads in the first months of 2021 compared with 96 in the same period in 2020.