Transport Bulletin June 2021

Source: Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Following the re-introduction of Level 5 restrictions on 27 December 2020, car traffic volumes dropped significantly, but have been growing slowly over the first months of this year, and more rapidly recently when intercounty travel restrictions were lifted on 10 May (week 19).

The data, which is illustrated in figures 1.1 and 1.2, shows the impact of COVID-19 on traffic volumes comparing 2019, 2020 and 2021 data. Last year in the weeks when restrictions were most stringent, between week 13 and week 19, the volume of cars on the roads in selected regional locations was more than 72.1% lower than between week 13 and week 19 in 2019.

Figure 1.1 and figure 1.2 illustrate how car traffic volumes have been increasing in 2021. Latest available data for week 21 (week beginning 24 May) show that car traffic volumes were 82.6% higher in Dublin and 95.6% higher in selected regional sites compared with week 1 of this year. The volume of private cars was 88.7% higher in Dublin sites than in week 21 of 2020, however, compared with the same week in 2019 car traffic volumes were still 17.7% lower. A similar trend is shown when looking at the selected regional sites. The volume of private cars in the regional locations was 87.2% higher in week 21 of 2021 than it was in week 21 of 2020, however volumes were still 17.0% lower than in week 21 of 2019. See table 1.1, figure 1.1 and figure 1.2.

Looking at weekly change, in the week commencing 24 May (week 21), there was a slight increase in car traffic volumes compared to the previous week for both Dublin and regional sites of 4.2% and 1.8% respectively. Most striking, however, was the weekly change between week 18 and 19 when volumes increased by 15.7% in Dublin and by 18.0% in the selected regional sites. This most likely reflects the change in travel restrictions. On 10 May (beginning of week 19) the country-wide travel restrictions changed from a 20 km radius or anywhere within own county to anywhere within Ireland. See figure 1.3.

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. Since the beginning of the year HGV traffic volumes in both regional and Dublin locations have remained below January, February and beginning of March 2020 levels. However, this pattern has since changed. In April and May 2021 HGV traffic volumes in both regional and Dublin locations were above 2020 levels. The latest data available, for week beginning 24 May, shows HGV traffic volumes are 18.9% higher in Dublin and 20.8% higher in regional sites compared with the same week in 2020. See table 1.2, figure 1.4 and figure 1.5.

We recently added an additional table and graph (see table 1.3 and figure 1.6) on the articulated HGV traffic in and around Irish ports. At the start of the year there was a decline in the volume of HGV traffic around Dublin port, however, in April and May 2021 HGV traffic around Dublin port has been higher than in April and May 2020. Since the start of the year HGV traffic around Cork and Rosslare ports has mostly been higher when compared with its level in 2020. For the latest week commencing 23 May 2021, HGV traffic around Dublin, Cork and Rosslare ports increased by 19.4%, 39.4% and 40.3% respectively when compared with 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.