Sir, – Merrion Square represents the city of Dublin, with a wealth of our architectural heritage, as a showcase of our finest 18th-century living buildings, and as a major tourist attraction deserving of Unesco World Heritage site status.
The fact that this historic square can be used as a public bus terminus for Dublin Bus vehicles on Merrion Square south and a “free” coach and minibus parking area on Merrion Square north, brings into question the thinking and obligations of the local authority, tourism and transport agencies.
There is also an asinine situation on Merrion Square north where coaches and mini-buses are permitted to park in a “traffic bus lane” thereby reducing outgoing traffic flows to one lane and denying the free-flow of all buses, emergency and other permitted vehicles on this major roadway.
As a resident, I can attest to the lack of regulation where also coach drivers wash and clean their vehicles from the public footpath and from the remaining outgoing traffic lane. On occasion coaches lay over in the bus lane with drivers sleeping in their vehicles.
The parking of buses in this significant architecturally accredited area creates serious health and safety hazards for pedestrians attempting to cross Merrion Square north, in both directions,by causing a restriction of sight lines and by imposing impediments to and from the public footpaths. This practice also denies use of the safe cycling lane.
The presence of and bulk of double-decker buses and coaches restricts the views of these fine 18th-century terraces, towards and from the park, is damaging to the visual amenity and is grossly disrespectful to our architectural heritage. Strangely this lack of regulation has gone unnoticed from Leinster Lawn since 2011.– Yours, etc,
SEAMAS DALY,
Merrion Square,
Dublin 2.