Sir, Amidst all the underground/over ground debates on whither next with Dublin transport, it may be worth while examining how similarly small cities have tackled the problem. Singapore is an island the size of south Dublin, with a population of over three million. The solution here appears almost too logical.
You want to buy a car? Be prepared to pay around £50,000 for your bog standard Nissan Sunny. You want to drive it into the central business district? Be prepared to pay £2 a day for the privilege.
"Not fair," you say? Well in return.
(a)We'll issue 30,000 taxi plates. Taxis suddenly start appearing everywhere. People use them. The taxi drivers are happy and their fares stay low to the point that a trip from, say, Dublin Airport to An Lar works out at £5.
(b)We'll use the exorbitant tax we charge those who absolutely have to own a car to build a another road infrastructure, to insure that what little traffic there is doesn't get gridlocked.
(c)We'll also use some of this tax to build one of the most modern light rail systems in the world where people wait around four minutes for a train instead of 24.
(d) We are also sure you won't mind using the buses, now that the streets are free of traffic and hey presto, the buses mysteriously start to appear with an uncanny regularity.
"But what about the motor industry . . . what about the motor industry?" I hear some car dealership owning politician scream. Well, owning a car suddenly becomes a massive status symbol, and what you lose on 13 Fiestas you make up on three Scorpios.
Instead of enormous signs saying "This lane is being upgraded to a road with thanks to EC (German taxpayers'?) funding," the ones out here irritatingly read. "This highway is being extended to a super duper highway to take anticipated traffic flows in 2037." I am sure there is a reason why we can't possibly adopt a similar approach in Ireland, and I would appreciate it if Garret FitzGerald could enlighten me in one of his articles some Saturday. Yours, etc., Langsat Road, Singapore.
PS - If it's any consolation, the Guinness tastes putrid in Sing, a pore and costs a mind numbing £8 a pint.