Commuter Belt

Eileen Dunne - RT╔ newscaster

How do you travel to work? By car

How long does it take? If it's in rush hour, it takes an hour. If it's outside rush hour, it takes half an hour. Most of the time, I travel outside rush hour.

What time do you leave home? It depends what shift I'm working on. I leave at 8.45 a.m., or at noon, or mid-afternoon or at 6 p.m.

What time do you get back? Again, it depends what shift I'm working on. I could arrive home at 2.30 p.m., 7.30 p.m., 10 p.m. or 2 a.m.

Do you travel the same route every day? Yes, from the Howth Road, in Clontarf, across the East Link Bridge and along the coast road to Donnybrook.

What do you enjoy about your commute? I enjoy driving and listening to the radio. If the sun is shining, I listen to Lite FM - it's great car music. Otherwise, I listen to RT╔ Radio 1 or Lyric FM. Also, the East Link is the best thing that ever happened to those of us who live on the northside, because even if there is a lot of traffic, it keeps moving and you avoid the city centre.

What bothers you most about your commute? Being under pressure to get there on time. And the way people don't know how to use roundabouts - often, it takes me up to 20 minutes to get onto a roundabout, because some car drivers sit and wait until there isn't a car in sight.

Would you change your mode of transport if you could? No. I need my car, because I have to bring clothes with me for work. I'd be all over the place if I didn't have my car. However, when I go into town, I use the bus.

How could your journey be improved? If I had a nicer car - I currently drive a Renault Megane. And, no, I wouldn't move to the southside to be close to RT╔. It's nice to have the river between us sometimes.