Sir, Sean Walsh, writing from Vienna (June 17th) is indeed correct when he says that the population of Vienna is approximately 1.5 million. (To be exact. it is 1.616,240 and covers an area of 160 square miles.) However, one must go outside the nominal city limits when speaking in terms of public commuter transport.
Dublin City, for example, has a population of 478,389 and covers 41 square miles, hut when the adjoining areas of Fingal, South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire are added for commuting purposes - the population increases to 1,025,304 and the area to 355 square miles. This is only two-thirds of the population of Vienna's 160 square miles.
I have not been able to obtain the relevant figures for the extended Vienna area but the co-ordinated public transport timetables show several regional rail lines providing frequent services from outside the city. Over 60 of the stations on these lines provide park-and-ride facilities.
Vienna and surroundings are served overall by approximately 10 regional railway lines, six underground lines, 30 tramway lines and 90 bus routes. The operating authorities there aim to increase patronage from 626 million passengers in 1995 to 750 million by 2005.
Dublin and surroundings are served overall by four regional railway hones (DART plus the three Arrow routes), no underground lines, no tramway lines and approximately 100 bus routes. According to the CIE Annual Report for 1995 this amounts to 204 million passengers. It could not he said, therefore, that the commuting population of Dublin hears comparison with Vienna.
The point of my letter of June 4th was that, faced with the necessity of drastic action to alleviate our traffic problems, Dublin is in a unique position, because of its size, to start from scratch with an entirely new system of public transport unfettered by the old mentality that everything can be solved by burying the majority of the citizens underground. The new low-floor trams with their easy access for all members of the community offer the only solution which will take us forward as a progressive city into the new century. But these trams must run through the streets, unhampered by unnecessary traffic.
The FF/PD manifesto for government claims that the parties "recognise that disability is one of the most important social issues facing Ireland today." In terms of public transport the new tram offers them the opportunity to prove their sincerity. It is therefore regrettable that they are yielding to the demands of vested interests for a re-appraisal of the TOTO plans with a view to putting LUAS underground.
Incidentally, Vienna has just ordered 34 new trams of an improved ultra- low floor design by Porsche to begin modernising its present fleet of 549 motor trams and 428 trailers. - Yours, etc.,
Barton Road East, Dublin 14.