Where is local democracy in road plans?

Sir, – Cllr Maeve O'Connell (Letters, August 13th) bemoans the absence of local democracy in road plans for Dún Laoghaire Rathdown. Funnily enough, I don't recall that there was ever a democratic debate when road space was progressively handed over to become the near-exclusive and permanent domain of private cars; when pedestrians had to beg to cross the road; and when our roads, and their rules, were reconstituted to effectively discriminate against all non-motorised traffic.

We should have a democratic debate. But that debate should start from an assumption of equality that all road users – pedestrians, cyclists and cars – have an equal right to access road space. – Yours, etc,

GAVIN DALY,

Dublin 1.