Sir, - I read with some interest and dismay about the "new, improved" plans for Dublin's South George's Street and Dawson Street and I wonder to myself: just who is representing the motorists, like myself, who genuinely need their cars to go to work in and around the city centre? It appears that any sales representative working in the city is expected to get the bus for the day, armed with all his/her necessary samples and products and walk to all during the day.
Take, for example, a desktop computer salesperson selling five units a day, in the city area. It is simply not possible for many representatives to do their work with these kind punitive and blatantly anti-car measures in place. Perhaps we should use bicycles with little trailers for all our baggage - something the size of a car crawling, causing even worse gridlock.
The problem in Dublin has been caused by long-term neglect of our roads. The last people who did any real development in Dublin were the Wide Roads Commission in the late 1800s; we should be eternally grateful to the British for this, or we would be in a worse muddle right now.
The answer is investment and new roads, not white lines painted down existing roads to give those of us who pay road tax less road space and more heart attacks. Finally, a word of warning: Keep marginalising the honest motorist and soon we will have a Jackie Healy Raetype single-issue candidate standing in the next election. - Yours, etc.,
Ciaran Blackall, Malahide, Co Dublin.