Congestion charges and private vehicles

Gridlocked roads

Sir, – Public transport cannot operate efficiently on gridlocked roads.

Therefore congestion charges are necessary to reduce private vehicles in urban areas first. This will lead to an immediate improvement for existing bus routes and facilitate improvements. This point has been missed by many commenting on the proposed congestion charges, including Sinn Féin and People Before Profit. – Yours, etc,

JOHN McGETTIGAN,

Leixlip,

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Co Kildare.

Sir, – If someone is receiving cancer treatment in one of the cancer centres of excellence (all located in cities), or is immuno-compromised and requires treatment, or is just very physically sick, should that patient or their driver be subject to a catch-all congestion charge or clean-air fine, when they have no choice but to use their vehicle to get to the hospital, as using crowded public transport could end up harming the unwell patient through an infection picked up on that crowded public transport, never mind the logistical impossibility of getting to the appointment and getting home again afterwards on the same day by public transport, while also attempting to carry any medical equipment or other supports which the patient might need, while being pushed along in a wheelchair?

Why is it that this Government’s “solution” to every problem is simply to tax the hell out of it? – Yours, etc,

DAVID DORAN,

Bagenalstown,

Co Carlow.