Sir, - In support of the views expressed by Kieran Dooley in his letter (September 3rd), I too have been very concerned by the profusion of spacious, multi storey and underground car parks incorporated in many new developments in central Dublin. By allowing each of them, the Corporation is shooting its "environmentally friendly" transport planning in the foot.
Being a bit of a businessman myself, what surprises me is that many of these retail leisure developments incorporating multistorey car parks are doing so at considerable cost to themselves in terms of lost sales area, higher building costs (due to structural and safety regulations), and even aesthetic appearance of new developments. Of course, there is a case for perhaps a small basement or ground level parking area for the disabled, and for people who would be prepared to pay the real cost of a city centre parking place - £12 a day or so. But the rest of us, considering the dawning of the age of LUAS, should be expected to enjoy the Fair City on foot or by tram, DART, etc, rather than being holed up in a traffic jam of our own making.
Businesses with such surpluses of valuable space given over to the car parks could then convert them to other uses, to provide the extra shopping, office, and housing units which are more in demand in Dublin than ever before. May I suggest that in order to remain faithful to its stated intentions, the Corporation should take the lead in converting that cavern of an underground car park beneath the Wood Quay Offices into something more useful - an underground LUAS station, perhaps? - Is mise, le meas.
Parkhill Estate,
Sheffield S2 5RG.