Residents raise ramp concerns

Residents of Dublin's south inner city have called for a review of safety aspects of the Luas system after a car drove up a railway ramp near the Charlemont stop in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The Charlemont ramp is located adjacent to Peter's Place at the point where the Luas descends from it elevated position to street level in the vicinity of the former Harcourt Street railway station.

Local residents claimed yesterday morning was not the first time a vehicle had gone up the ramp and they added many families were concerned about the prospect of a crash and a possible fire which could affect their homes.

However Mr Tom Manning of the Railway Procurement Agency said absence of a barrier was not an issue as the design of the railway conformed to the "highest European standards".

While he expected it would take other road users some time to get used to the presence of trams, the fact was that this was a railway "and anyone who is on it, is on it illegally".