Sir, – The public consultation regarding the Bus Connects project for Dublin city and suburbs is due to close on May 31st.
I was very surprised to read how the project in Dublin diverges from best practice in other international cities. In Dublin, there is a stated intention to use compulsory purchase orders to co-opt front gardens and existing green space in order to widen roads, but the strategy in other cities is quite the opposite.
Living in Brussels, I can confirm that large infrastructure projects are in operation to diminish or completely block road usage and to impose 20km/h speed limits in many areas, giving priority to pedestrians.
The humble zebra crossing is being phased out, as is the petrol car. Notably over the last four years, much of the shared electric infrastructure for cars has been put in place in Brussels, using Cambio cars or other brands, with dedicated places to park and charge these cars, in addition to shared scooters and bicycles, which users can leave anywhere in any street.
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There are also public subventions: turning in an old car to be scrapped gives the owner two years of public transport for free. There is also a tax-back scheme for employees who cycle to work and buy electric bicycles.
Reading the Bus Connects plans, there doesn’t seem to be joined-up thinking and concurrent policies to green the city and its inhabitants. – Yours, etc,
THÉRÈSE
MAC AN AIRCHINNIGH,
Brussels,
Belgium.