Sir, - AA's statement (January 4th) that Dublin is among the least car populated cities in the EU is difficult to accept. Their claim is based on their own survey of 16 European cities compiled with the co operation of AIT/FIA.
It is surprising that the results of just ten of 16 cities surveyed are included in the article, as it would have been interesting to see the person/car ratio in the excluded six cities. Their statement that Dublin has 18 people to 3 cars (ratio 6:1) constitutes an error in interpretation of the data, which indicates a ratio of 3:18 persons per car.
Their chart demonstrates that Dublin and Lisbon each have approximately one million cars. The ratio for Lisbon, at 1:55, would indicate that Lisbon has a population of about 1.5 million. The ratio for Dublin, at 3:18, would imply that Dublin's population stands at over 3 million. Even the biased inclusion of the entire country in AA's survey could hardly account for this enormous expansion in our capital's population which in the 1991 census was under 1 million.
If one assumes that Dublin city and county now have a population of 1.5 million, then the correct ratio of people to cars is 1:5. This would make Dublin one of the most densely car populated cities in the EU.
One is forced therefore to question Mr Faughnan's interpretation and understanding of Dublin's traffic problems. - Yours, etc.,
The Cove,
Tramore,
Co Waterford.