Madam, - It beggars belief that, at a time when the Tánaiste encourages people to "shop around" for better value, her own Government can stand by and watch a 20 per cent increase in toll charges being levied on Dublin motorists for use of the West-Link bridge.
The increase is especially galling when the "new lanes" which supposedly justify the increase have done little to alleviate the rush-hour gridlock in both directions, and when NTR continually dismisses requests by various motoring organisations to keep the toll gates open at certain times to alleviate this congestion.
This bridge - the only realistic river-crossing available to its thousands of daily users - appears to be nothing more than a licence to print money for its arrogant and greedy developers - and for the Government - each salivating at the thought of an increase in its share of the booty.
If NTR's excuse for this latest rise is to be believed, someone must have got their sums horribly wrong if, despite three toll increases in as many years, the extra lanes are still not yet paid for. Can we assume that there is much embarrassment at NTR over this fiasco, and that heads will roll over this blatant display of mathematical incompetence? It would be nice to think that such transparency would be a feature of Irish business.
Alas, those in command at NTR instead hide behind PR-company-generated mumbo-jumbo to justify what is nothing more than a further blatant rip-off of Joe Public.- Yours, etc.,
GERARD REYNOLDS, Ballycullen Road, Dublin 16.