Sir,– Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan says increasing public transport is an easy win in helping reduce emissions this year.
A much easier win for the environment and for people’s pockets would be to reduce the speed limit on motorways to 100km/h.
Fuel consumption at 100km/h is approximately 25 per cent less than at 120km/h.
Reducing the speed limit to 80km/h for larger vehicles like the larger van, rigid trucks and articulated lorries would yield even better results because they have very poor aerodynamics and would substantially reduce their fuel costs.
Protestant churches face a day of reckoning with North’s inquiry into mother and baby homes
Pat Leahy: Smart people still insist the truth of a patent absurdity – that Gerry Adams was never in the IRA
The top 25 women’s sporting moments of the year: 25-6 revealed with Mona McSharry, Rachael Blackmore and relay team featuring
Former Tory minister Steve Baker: ‘Ireland has been treated badly by the UK. It’s f**king shaming’
As it is hard to maintain a high average speed after leaving the motorway, any advantage to speeding down the motorway is soon lost on these slower roads, as lorries and vans spend a lot of time being stationary, either in traffic or in loading bays.
A very easy win for the Minister and completely cost free. – Yours, etc,
DAVID DORAN,
Bagenalstown,
Co Carlow.