Madam, - The proposal by Dublin City Council to change its policy on paid parking in Dublin suburbs, if correctly reported, is ill-conceived. It is just not sensible to encourage commuters to drive 10, 20, 30 or more miles daily to within a mile or two of Dublin city centre, there to park their cars wherever they can on already burdened residential streets, and then to use public transport to the city centre.
The "plan", if adopted, would be short-sighted and ineffective, satisfying neither commuters nor residents and not solving Dublin's chronic commuter traffic congestion. It would clog up suburban streets, frustrate residents unable to find parking close to their homes and involve additional journey time and cost for the commuter.
Surely it is obvious that part of the answer lies in providing fleets of buses and additional trains, leaving at frequent intervals from the towns where the commuters live, picking up passengers en route to Dublin, and returning from the city centre at equally frequent intervals in the evening.
What is also needed is a comprehensive review of overall transport strategy and a marked shift in favour of public transport. Residents in and around existing public transport centres (eg Sydney Parade, Sandymount Avenue) are already under considerable siege where paid parking is not in place. A park and ride facility with special car parks outside the city should also be considered.
If these measures were implemented, then stress, commuting times and parking difficulties would all be cut or eliminated.
I hope that common sense will prevail. - Yours, etc,
MARTIN JOYCE, Environment Officer, Rathgar Residents Association, Dublin 6.