Sir, – You report that the National Transport Authority (NTA) has backed Dublin City Council’s plan for a plaza in front of Trinity College and a complete ban on all east-west traffic movements inclusive of buses and taxis.
Your newspaper also reported that the NTA withdrew its support for Dublin Bus, which would only accept the proposed plaza if it obtained two-way traffic movement on Parliament Street.
The decision to ban east-west traffic movements is an appalling one and demonstrates the complete lack of understanding our elected councillors and the full-time unelected officials have as to how a city works.
Dublin Bus carries approximately 140 million passengers per year but this decision will impact severely upon Crumlin, Drimnagh, Tallaght, Clondalkin and Ballyfermot commuters by forcing the buses of working-class communities out to the city boundaries while the well-heeled continue to have premium access. Those leafy D4 and costal communities also have Dart, Luas and now a proposed €3 billion Metrolink.
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For years there has been a two-tier health system but now we have a two-tier public-transport system. – Yours, etc,
THOMAS O’CONNOR,
Crumlin,
Dublin 12.
Sir, – If I may make a small suggestion in respect of Christopher McMahon's plan for "no cars between the canals" (April 3rd), to avoid the prospect of pedestrianising a swathe of the Midlands, we are going to need to build a third canal to fix the western border. – Yours, etc,
ALAN EUSTACE,
Dublin 2.