A chara, – I commend Dublin City Council for its decisions in relation to College Green and hope soon that it will ban all traffic in Dublin centre, from Inchicore right across the city. – Is mise,
PÓL Ó DEORÁIN,
Siúlóid na Mainistreach,
Cluain Dolcáin,
Baile Átha Cliath.
Madam, – I see that the College Green bus corridor entails banning traffic from that route during certain hours. The ban extends to all traffic except buses, push bikes and taxis. Obviously, no one can quarrel with the buses being one of those exceptions – after all, it is a bus corridor. As for the bikes, well, I myself am a regular cyclist. But taxis? Taxis are vehicles of the well-heeled. (When the down-at-heel use them, it is because there are no practicable alternative). If, in the interests of the efficient use of scarce road space, the owner of a fancy car is prohibited from driving it in College Green during the given hours, why is he allowed to engage the driver of another (effectively similar) car to clog the road on his behalf at those busy times?
Is it not clear that the mere shift from the driver’s seat to a passenger seat makes no contribution to efficient road utilisation or any other public good? It will be objected: “But all bus lanes are open to taxis.” Exactly. But why? – Yours, etc,
FRANK FARRELL,
Lakelands Close,
Stillorgan, Co Dublin.