The unveiling of the Government's traffic plan was a bit like a taxi ride in a strange city.
Sure, the driver - a Mr Ahern - spoke pretty good English. But you couldn't help thinking you'd passed some of the landmarks before. And when the trip finally ended at Government Buildings, it was a big relief to know the private sector would be paying half the fare - a worrying £14 billion, including extras.
Mr Ahern admitted that the cost had increased dramatically in a short time. But, apart from the price, all that appeared new yesterday was the breadth of the presentation, as an all-star chorus line including the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Minister for Public Enterprise tapped their feet in unison with the National Roads Authority, the Dublin Transportation Office and CIE.
Most of the traffic plan's individual elements had indeed been seen before, in smaller venues. But clever choreography combined the upgrading of the roads network, the revamp of the Dublin bus fleet, and the transformation of city and suburban rail into one breathtaking spectacle.
The Government's programme notes somehow summarised the action in a single page. And, in the space of a few short paragraphs, this mentioned that the project was "moving ahead rapidly", "rapidly progressing", "ahead of schedule" and "moving ahead rapidly" (again).
With this degree of urgency, it's no wonder Government cars are breaking the speed limit. Mr Ahern duly fielded a question about that embarrassment; and, of more immediate relevance, also played down a comment in his own speech to the effect that a continuation of "current inflation trends" would make the traffic plan unsustainable.
Fine Gael said many of the road and rail projects had already appeared in the National Plan, only cheaper.
