As schools add to the gridlock, we need to get cars out of city centre

WITH school traffic now adding to the usual commuter woes, is it not time to adopt an immediate radical approach to the problem?

I spent a significant sum for the privilege of parking my car in Dublin city centre recently. If it cost me the same amount, or more, in a London-style congestion charge, I would not have taken the car out of my own garage.

A similar decision by a large number of drivers would save in road space and maintenance and result in less damage to the environment.

But we would need a reliable and very frequent public transport system. For most areas of Dublin that would mean the purchase of the required number of buses — by competing companies if necessary.

It would also mean providing car parking space on the outskirts of the city rather than in the centre. This would seems to provide a reasonably short-term and relatively inexpensive solution to our problem.

At least let’s hear from the experts why it should not be done?

Anthony Leavy

1 Shielmartin Drive

Sutton

Dublin 13