FIANNA Fail and the Progressive Democrats have rejected the Minister for Transport's criticisms of their stance on the Luas light rail project. They called on Mr Lowry to publish more information on the cost of Luas and to examine all available options for the project.
Mr Lowry said yesterday that the claim by the leader of the PDs, Ms Mary Harney, that Luas would result in a minimal reduction of traffic in Dublin was based on "outdated and inaccurate" information.
But Ms Harney last night repeated her call for the Minister to publish an analysis of the project which, she claimed, raised serious questions about its viability. This showed that city centre peak hour traffic would be reduced by 1.6 per cent and bus services to south west Dublin would be cut when light rail was introduced.
"It seems that Luas is designed not to force people out of cars but out of buses", she stated.
Fianna Fail's spokesman, Mr Seamus Brennan, accused Mr Lowry of continuing to ignore important issues, for instance the underground option for the city centre. Neither had he produced proposals on integrating the city's different public transport systems, Mr Brennan added.
"He still hasn't done anything about giving the go ahead for links to Sandyford and Dublin Airport. He also offers no estimation of the amount of disruption that will result from the building of the light rail system."
The chief executive of Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Mr Noel Carroll, called for an independent assessment of the underground option. The issue of disruption during construction was one which the Minister would "underestimate at his peril", he said.
The chief executive of the Dublin City Centre Business Association, Mr Tom Coffey, regretted the negative publicity the project had attracted. He asked the Minister for Environment to fund a £10 million scheme of environmental improvements between College Green and Upper O'Connell Street as Luas is implemented.