Sir, – Watching Tuesday night's The Luas: A Tale of Two Trams on RTÉ television, I was wondering what Charles Dickens would have made of it all. It was clearly the best of times on the Green Line, the worst of times on the Red Line. So while the Luas sped cheerfully through the leafy glades of Leopardstown and Balally and deposited affluent teenagers at the Mecca of Dundrum shopping centre, a crusade against fare dodgers, substance abusers and general ne'er-do-wells was in full swing from Abbey Street to Tallaght.
While commuters found time to read their Kindles and leaf through The Irish Times on the south side, us inner- and outer-city west-siders (I'm surprised the voiceover didn't label us Westies) clearly were too busy making counterfeit travel passes and robbing mobile phones to be able to engage in more intellectual pursuits.
I’m a regular user of the Red Line (and also use the Green Line occasionally – without prejudice) and it has contributed significantly to the lives of young and old, native and tourist in our capital city.
The recent Luas scheme of allowing children to travel free on the trams at weekends has been a superb and generous gesture in this time of continuing austerity.
I’m not saying there aren’t problems on the Luas at times but I’d just like to say one thing to our national broadcaster – “I’m Red and I’m proud!” – Yours, etc,
MARK LAWLER,
South Circular Road,
Kilmainham,
Dublin 8.