M50 could end up like a ‘car park’ for Pope’s city visit
THE VISIT of Pope Francis to Ireland later this month is set to throw traffic management in the capital into ‘chaos’, according to security sources.
Frantic meetings are being held by Garda management to see how they can best deal with the expected 500,000 pilgrims due to descend on Dublin for Pope Francis’s historic 36-hour visit on August 25.
Senior Security sources have revealed to the Irish Daily Mail that the M50 motorway could become a ‘car park’ if proper ‘strategic’ traffic-flow systems are not put in place.
The Mail understands Garda management in conjunction with the World Meeting of Families are looking to rent fields from farmers north and south of the city for use as car parks.
‘The visit of Pope Francis to Dublin and in particular the closing Mass in the Phoenix Park has the potential to cause travel chaos. The fear is the M50 will essentially be a car park if people abandon cars and walk towards the Phoenix Park,’ said a source.
‘While a traffic management plan is being put in place, we can’t rely on it working.
‘As many as 500,000 people descending on the capital is a large number and we have to consider that public transport can and could break down,’ added the source.
News of the potential traffic chaos in Dublin comes just days after it was confirmed that pilgrims travelling to Knock face a gruelling 16km walk to the Mass site if they choose to drive to Knock for the visit.
Event organisers are alarmed as it emerged that 91% of the 45,000 people with tickets for the Knock visit plan to travel by car.
A 30km chunk of the main N17 route through the town will close from midnight on the Saturday before the Pope arrives in Mayo until at least 3pm on Sunday.
Supt Tom Calvey, who is coordinating gardaí, said: ‘If 91% of people decide to come by car, they will be parked possibly further out than Claremorris’, which is 8km from Knock.’
And with so many cars, many would have to park another 8km on the other side of Claremorris.
‘Claremorris is 8km from here, so you’re talking 8km on each side, which is 16km,’ he explained.
In contrast, the furthest those travelling by bus will have to walk is 1km, he said.