Sir, - William Campbell's choice of language (June 19th) reveals more about him than it does about the subject. John Howard "whinges". Professional estimates of reduced traffic on named roads are dismissed as "piffle". The main points of my original letter to you, sir, are distorted skilfully by a practised hand.
Just consider one claim from his letter: "More roads create more traffic." Does this make sense? Does it fit in with people's experience of congestion on Irish roads day after day? Where does Mr Campbell think the vehicles on the present inadequate road system would be if road improvements had not been carried out? Imagine trying to get to Dublin Airport if the motorway had not been built.
Should Mr Campbell care to read my "selfish rant" again in a more generous spirit he might realise that I am not a mindless advocate of the rights of the car driver over the rights of others. I spend as much time cycling or walking around this area as I do driving. So I have every sympathy with the hundreds of school-children and mothers of young children that I see every day trying to cross Deans Grange Road, Stradbrook Road or Newtown Park Avenue in terror of their lives at the speeding and unforgiving traffic. Just ask any teacher at Newpark School or Guardian Angels primary school or Rockford Manor.
Better still, invite Frank McDonald to venture out before the school holidays so that he can get the opinions of the real people who will benefit from the completed Monkstown ring road.
Yours, etc.,
Rowan Park,
Blackrock.