DEVELOPERS face a massive clampdown in the Greater Dublin Area under new rules to be unveiled today.
They will no longer be allowed to build housing estates in the region unless there is proper transport already up and running.
The long-awaited Dublin Transport Authority (DTA) is charged with ending the widespread practice where developers were able to build houses, apartment blocks, shopping centres or business parks without having proper public transport in place.
The Government will today announce the establishment of the DTA to oversee transport development in Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.
It will have sweeping powers to reform transport in the Greater Dublin Area.
Aside from coordinating planning of transport projects, the single transport body is also intended to speed up the delivery of infrastructure.
The DTA will also act as a watchdog for planning transport links to new developments.
The long-awaited authority is supposed to ensure the days are gone when developers are able to develop houses, apartment blocks, shopping centres or business parks without proper public transport.
Transport in the Greater Dublin Area is generally regarded as seriously lacking in joined-up thinking on infrastructure and services.
The DTA is intended to draw together all the various elements and state bodies involved in transport.
The authority will cover the areas Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.
Transport Minister Noel Dempsey will publish the Dublin Transport Authority Bill today and outline his plans for its establishment.
The bill is regarded as arguably the most important new laws the Department of Transport will pass during this Government's term in office.
One of the main elements of this new bill are the provisions it contains pertaining to land use and transport.
The legislation has watertight provisions to prevent residential or commercial developments being built without proper provisions for public transport.
The planning authorities will in future have to agree on where development will take place and how it will be served by transport.
If an individual council objects or tries to ignore the advice of the DTA, the minister will have the power to order the council to abide by the recommendations.
The Dublin Transport Authority will cover a wide range of responsibilities:
l strategic transport planning;
l ensuring the delivery of public transport infrastructure;
l allocation of Exchequer funds for public transport and traffic management;
l procurement of public transport services;
l regulation of public transport fares;
l delivery on an integrated public transport system;
l traffic management.
Fionnan Sheahan Political Editor
Irish Independent
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