Key findings

• The latest counter data shows that car traffic remained at a low level for most of March following the move to Level 5 restrictions on 27 December. However, car volumes for the week commencing 28 March were 120.5% higher in regional locations and 127.9% higher in Dublin than the same week in 2020
• The volume of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) had dropped in both Dublin and regional locations since week commencing 27 December when compared to same periods in the previous year. However, there were increases for both Dublin (+48.2%) and regional locations (37.2%) for week commencing 28 March
• There were 21 fatalities on Irish roads in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 46 in the same period in 2020, a fall of 54.3%
• The volume of petrol fuel excise clearances in February 2021 was 45.2% lower than February 2020
• The number of journeys taken by bus and rail, following recent restrictions is now 30.2% of the journeys taken at the start of the COVID-19 crisis
• The pace of recovery of road traffic volumes for cars and HGVs to pre COVID-19 levels continues to outstrip that of public transport passenger numbers
• Increase of 42.4% in the volume of cyclists in Dublin city during off-peak hours in March 2021 compared to March 2020
• There was a 11.0% decrease in the number of new private cars licensed in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the same period in 2020
• COVID-19 continues to have a major impact on airport passenger numbers

Road Traffic Volumes

Source: Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Following the re-introduction of Level 5 restrictions on 27 December, car traffic volumes dropped significantly but have been growing slowly over the last few weeks of January, February and beginning of March. In week commencing 21 March 2021, there was an increase in car traffic volumes compared to the previous week for both Dublin and regional sites of 11.3% and 10.5% respectively. The latest data shows that car traffic volumes were 127.9% higher in Dublin than the same week in 2020.

The data, which is illustrated in figures 1 and 2, shows the impact of COVID-19 on traffic volumes since the beginning of March 2020. In the weeks when restrictions were most stringent (from 29 March to 2 May) the volume of cars on the roads was more than 70% lower than in 2019. The volume of private cars for the week commencing 21 March 2021 were 16.2% higher in regional locations than the corresponding week in 2020. For the latest week beginning 28 March, there was a decrease of 2.2% in regional locations compared to the previous week. This same week shows that car volumes have increased by 120.5% than the same week in 2020. See table 1 and figure 1.

The impact on HGV traffic of COVID-19 restrictions has not been as pronounced as for cars. In general, from June 2020 onwards HGV traffic volumes exceeded 2019 levels, particularly in the lead-up to Christmas. However, since the beginning of the year HGV traffic volumes in both regional and Dublin locations have remained below January, February and March 2020 levels except for the latest week. In week beginning 07 March, HGV volumes were 10.7% lower in Dublin and 3.7% lower in regional locations compared to the same period in 2020. For the latest data available, for week beginning 28 March, HGV traffic volumes are 48.2% higher in Dublin and 37.2% higher in regional sites. Table 2 and figures 3 and 4 provide an insight into HGV traffic volumes.

This month we are adding an additional table and graph (see table 3 and figure 5) on the articulated HGV traffic in and around Irish ports for the last six months. The data shows that since the start of the year there has been a decline in the volume of HGV traffic around Dublin port. For week commencing 14 March 2021, traffic around Dublin port decreased by 20.6% compared to the same period in 2020, and an increase around both Rosslare (+27.2%) and Cork (+22.0%) ports. For the latest week commencing 28 March 2021, HGV traffic around Dublin, Cork and Rosslare ports have increased by 15.7%, 49.7% and 45.9% respectively when compared to the same week in 2020. It’s important to note that this data does not correspond directly with container traffic through the ports nor with the volume of goods being transported on cargo ships.

Fuel excise clearances

Source: Office of the Revenue Commissioners

The Revenue Commissioners collect statistics on the volumes of fuel clearances covered by excise taxes. Clearances reflect the excise duties paid on oil removed from tax warehouses. Clearances data provide a proxy for sales and the associated level of consumption but do not reflect actual consumption per se. 

Clearances of unleaded petrol in February 2021 were 45.2% lower than the level in February 2020 indicating a very substantial decrease in car traffic by households as a result of the continuing travel restrictions during lockdown. At 42 million litres, this brings clearance volumes of petrol to similarly low levels as the lockdown restrictions in April and May 2020. See table 4 and figure 6.

There was a similarly significant decrease of 27.8% in clearances of autodiesel in February 2021 compared with February 2020 (see Table 4). This decrease indicates a similar trend to unleaded petrol with travel restrictions reducing the amount of traffic on the roads and thus the demand for road fuels. See full release Fuel excise clearances February 2021.

Vehicles Licensed

Source: Department of Transport

There were 39,292 new private cars licensed in the first quarter of 2021. This is a drop of 11.0% compared with Q1 2020. The number of used (imported) private cars licensed rose by 5.1% compared with the same period in 2020. Overall 60,687 new and used private cars were licensed in Q1 2021. The number of new hybrid and new electric cars licensed between January and March 2021 grew by 3,552 (52.3%) and 819 (54.8%) respectively compared to the same period last year despite an overall drop in new cars licensed for the period. There was an annual increase of 4.2% in the number of new cars licensed in the month of March. See Vehicles licensed for the first time March 2021.

Road Fatalities

Source: Road Safety Authority

There were 21 fatalities on Irish roads in the first quarter of 2021 compared with 46 in the same period in 2020, a drop of 54.3%.

Note: data is provisional.

Public Transport Volumes

Source: National Transport Authority

The number of passenger journeys on public transport has dropped dramatically since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. Data relating to bus and rail journeys is presented in table 7 and figure 8.

The use of bus and rail services had fallen significantly since the re-introduction of Level 5 restrictions in Ireland on 27 December 2020. Overall, journeys by bus and rail have been increasing slowly throughout January, February and March. The total number of bus and rail journeys taken during the week commencing 07 March was 28.2% of those taken in early March 2020. The number of bus journeys outside of Dublin in the same week was 31.6% of pre COVID-19 levels. The corresponding level for bus journeys within Dublin was 30.7% of pre-COVID levels. The latest data shows that for week commencing 28 March, the total number of rail and bus journeys is 30.2% of those taken in early March 2020. The corresponding figure for bus journeys outside of Dublin is a third (33.5%) of those taken in early March 2020.

The data indicates that rail was the mode of transport that was most severely hit since the onset of the crisis. In the week commencing 05 April the number of journeys undertaken was 97.2% lower than it was in the first week of March of this year. For the latest week under consideration, 28 March -03 April, the number of journeys by rail was 79.9% lower than pre COVID-19 levels. Journeys by rail have been increasing throughout March. For week beginning 28 March, there was a 15.8% increase in rail journeys compared to the previous week. Rail data includes passenger journeys on Intercity and DART services. 

Data on Luas journeys taken is presented in table 8 and illustrated in figure 9. The data indicates that the impact of COVID-19 on the Luas red and green lines, while very similar, has been slightly greater on the green line. Data for the week beginning 29 March (week 14) shows that journeys more than tripled (243.7%) on the red line than the same period in 2020 but are still 77.2% lower than the same period in 2019. For the green line and the same week, data shows that journeys have increased by 317.3% than the corresponding week in 2020 but are still 81.3% lower than the same period in 2019. The total number of journeys on the Luas decreased slightly by 1,236 (-0.6%) in the latest week commencing 29 March compared to the previous week.

It is worth noting that the number of journeys taken on public transport is not recovering at the same rate as road traffic volumes. Rail continues to be the most severely affected mode of public transport.

Bicycle Counter Data

Source: Dublin City Council

Dublin City Council operate cycle counters at five locations across the city to aid traffic planning and gauge demand for cycling. The cycle counter automatically counts cyclists passing in both directions and relays information to Dublin City Council’s traffic control centre. Data from these counters is presented in table 9.

The data for peak hours shows a different pattern to that of the off-peak data. The volume of cyclists on weekdays between 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm decreased significantly when restrictions were most stringent. In April 2020 there was a drop of 75.6% in the volume of cyclists measured during peak hours. Volumes during peak hours in March 2021 were 56.3% higher than February 2021 but were 31.5% lower than March 2020.

The volume of cyclists during off-peak hours has remained close to or exceeded 2019 levels except for the month of April 2020, when there was a 40.1% drop compared to April 2019. However, volumes for March 2021 are 42.4% higher than March 2020.

Aviation data

Source: Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock and Kerry airports.

Air passenger data shows a dramatic fall in passengers handled by Irish airports due to COVID-19 restrictions. Data on airport passengers is presented in table 10 and illustrated in figure 11. The number of passengers travelling through Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Knock airports in February 2021 is 95.8% lower than February 2020. Note: Kerry data was not available at the time of publication and Knock airport was closed in February.

The total number of passengers handled by those airports in the first two months of 2021 fell from 4,688,632 to 303,524 a drop of 93.5% when compared with the same period in 2020. The number of passengers travelling through Dublin airport in February 2021 decreased by more than half (-51.9%) compared to the previous month.

For further COVID-19 related information go to the CSO COVID-19 Information Hub