Sir, - If there are reasons as to why the proposed light rail system, LUAS, should go underground in central Dublin, then Mr. Conor Faughnan of the Automobile Association omitted to list them in his recent article, (August 21st). The recent decision by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mary O'Rourke, to commission a study to assess the option of running the rail system underground in the city centre, is welcomed with enthusiasm by Mr Faughnan. Apart from the delay to the entire light rail project, the Minister's decision may result in the loss of EU funding for LUAS, meanwhile, the chaotic traffic situation in Dublin gets worse.
In his article, Mr. Faughnan claims that a majority of his members are in favour of the underground solution in the city centre. Perhaps his members would change their minds were they informed that as recently as last month, the civil authorities in Stockholm decided to close down and seal off the city underground network - a decision made due to continuous outbreaks of violence.
Mr. Faughnan reminds us that LUAS is going to cost £220 million and urges that an assessment of the underground option is carried out before "the first ecu of that money is spent." He avoids telling us that this "option" will double the price of the entire project or that the construction of an underground system could take eight to ten years.
Light rail as a system, offers the best prospect for commuting large numbers of people throughout the city and suburbs. It is a system which has proved successful in other European cities and because of its reliability, large numbers of car owners decide to travel to work by light rail. It is proposed that the line to Tallaght from city centre by light rail will be completed on "Phase One" of the existing plan and that the journey time will be 17 minutes.
The introduction of a light rail system to Tallaght will not only be welcomed by those who presently use public transport but by many car owners who will avail of LUAS when travelling to or from the city. - Yours, etc., EAMONN MALONEY,
Tallaght, Dublin 24.