Sir, – It is to be hoped that Dublin City Council's latest anti-motorist wheeze will prove to be the final straw for car owners (Olivia Kelly, "30km/h speed limit to be extended across Dublin", May 20th).
I drive a 13-year-old Honda Jazz whose petrol engine produces very low emissions and delivers up to 45 miles to the gallon around urban Dublin. To obey the planned 30km/h (18 mph) speed limit, I would need to drive to most places in second gear.
This would cause fuel consumption and emissions to rise and damage my car’s engine.
Even in second gear, I could only maintain a steady 30km/h by constantly monitoring the speedometer, which is hardly conducive to safe driving.
But then this new speed limit is not about promoting “safe” driving, despite Green Party Cllr Ciaran Cuffe’s claim that it is “not ideological”. – Yours, etc,
KARL MARTIN,
Bayside,
Dublin 13.