Lowry and Brennan clash on Luas on FF presses for study of underground option

THE Minister for Transport has accused Fianna Fail of "advocating paralysis by analysis". Mr Lowry was responding to a call by Fianna Fail's spokesman on transport, Mr Seamus Brennan, for an independent review of the option of building the proposed Luas transport system in Dublin underground.

Mr Brennan said the only review so far had been conducted by consultants for CIE which would also be responsible for the Luas system and he suggested that its estimates of the cost which they set at between £130 million and £300 million, "appear overly high".

"It is now estimated that to build a Luas underground tunnel would not cost more than £10 million per kilometre rather than the £13.1 million per kilometre assumed by the light rail promoters, he said. "The former Fine Gael leader, Dr Garret FitzGerald, has confirmed these costs."

Mr Brennan accused the Minister of "persistent refusal" to commission an independent study of the option and said this meant he was now "completely at odds" with Dr FitzGerald.

Mr Lowry said last night that Mr Brennan "seemed determined to deny Dubliners a modern, efficient and environmentally friendly transport service." He said that "the Dublin public want action to solve the worsening traffic chaos in Dublin. The last thing they want is yet another study." The choice, he said "is between further debate and delivery".

Going underground "would be significantly more expensive, less safe for the travelling public, less accessible, and cost more to run annually.

Mr Brennan said last night that while his party was not yet committed to the tunnel option, it did want it investigated. Fianna Fail had not investigated the matter while in government, as at that time the primary consideration was with securing funding for the Luas.

He anticipated that between five and seven kilometres of tunnel would be involved, all in the Dublin city centre area; possibly from Harcourt Street inwards for the Dundrum line, from Heuston station inwards for the Tallaght line and from Connolly station for the Ballymun line. He agreed the tunnel option would cause disruption during the building stage, but felt there would be "substantial disruption anyhow".

The tunnel option would avoid the permanent loss of two traffic lanes around St Stephen's Green 1 1/2 lanes on Dawson Street a half lane on Nassau Street, and possibly two on O'Connell Street which would be the case with an on street system. Combined, the losses of those traffic lanes could "devastate the city".

He referred to comments by Dr FitzGerald - "a transport economist" that an on street Luas will not be able to cater for about one third of the likely peak hour demand on the Cabinteely/ Dundrum route in 2001.

Mr Brennan also wants the funding of the Luas system investigated, as he believes private finance would be available, or cheap loans at 3 or 4 per cent interest, given the right conditions. Despite all this, he said, "Minister Lowry persists with his own form of tunnel vision" on the Luas.