Dublin City Council to Phase Out Trucks With High Blind Spots

Dublin City Council has backed a plan to phase out trucks with high blind spots from city streets to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. The initiative focuses on reducing blind spots in large vehicles to decrease the risk of accidents in urban areas.

According to reporting from The Journal on April 13, 2026, Cunningham stated that the long-term objective of the plan is to enhance safety across Dublin by reducing these blind spots in large vehicles.

Regulatory Framework and International Models

Dublin City Council officials have been consulting with counterparts in London to evaluate the implementation of truck permits based on blindspot standards. London has already introduced a new standard for permits for trucks centered on their blindspots and has plans to tighten these rules gradually.

The adoption of stricter rules for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and driver blindspots aligns with a broader strategy developed by Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority (NTA). This strategy aims to establish a low traffic city centre that allocates more space to walking, cycling, and public transport.

The Dublin City Centre Transport Plan

The focus on vehicle safety and blindspot reduction is part of a wider effort to manage commercial and private vehicle flow. Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan previously stated that bans on commercial vehicles and private cars traveling through Dublin city centre were intended to be in place by August.

The Dublin City Centre Transport Plan is designed to stop motorists from using the city centre as a through route. Dublin City Council data indicates that two out of every three cars currently using city streets are not traveling to the centre as their final destination.

To achieve this reduction in through-traffic, the plan includes the following measures:

• Limiting sections of the north and south quays to public transport only.
• Introducing a series of restrictions on where traffic can turn.
• Establishing new civic plazas to reduce car dominance on city streets.

While the plan seeks to end the dominance of cars, it does not block all access to the city centre. Routes to businesses and car parks are retained to ensure commercial viability and accessibility for those with specific destinations in the area.

Local Government Perspectives

The final transport plan received support from city councillors, with a report on public submissions showing more than 80 per cent support for the measures. Fine Gael councillor Paddy McCartan described the city streets as being used as a vast rat run by motorists who have other alternatives.

Dubliners are now saying its time to call a halt to the inexorable march of the motor car

Paddy McCartan

Green Party councillor Michael Pidgeon emphasized that while people remain welcome in the town by any means, including cars, the period of using the city centre as a through route has ended.