Last week, Frank Allenand Frank McDonalddebated the question : Does Dublin need a Metro rail service? Here is an edited selection of your comments
YES 75% NO 25%
IT WOULD be nice if Dublin had its own metro/subway. However, if Frank McDonald is right, then "surface-running light rail lines" would be a better investment.
- Conor, Ireland
After living half my adult life amongst the Irish diaspora of continental Europe, the word metro can only bring to mind images of punctuality, of dinky little maps which are really only representational and bear little relation to the world over ground, of bright inter-crossing lines which emit no pollution. But of course the London tube, Paris metro and my own local Barcelona metro have problems. Over here, we debate the safety of extending 24-hour service seven days a week. But really - like honestly and truly - what tickles my delight is that for the first time a simple clear question is asked. None of the silliness of asking does Dublin need another vanity project with a farcical name. Not an "Arrow, nor a "Luas" nor even a Dart. Quite simply a "metro". Wonderful. I'm surprised nobody has asked why the old rail lines were dug up yet.
- Iosaf MacDiarmada, Spain
What's wrong with buying a lot more buses, increasing the number and length of bus lanes and introducing a hefty congestion charge? It seems to me that it would be cheap, quick and effective in moving large numbers on a city-wide basis and would involve no disruption. The metro, in contrast, would be expensive, long-term, would only affect a small number of people and would cause huge disruption. That question was relevant 10 years ago. Does it take over a decade for the penny to drop?
- Tony Leavy, Ireland
Every rail service in Dublin is crammed like a sardine can in rush hour as commuters have realised that the Luas, Dart and commuter rail offer the only way to beat the gridlock of car and bus on the city streets. Dublin needs the metro to make it possible to move around the city in a reasonable amount of time. It should be built now, along with the Dart interconnector, to serve the huge demand for fast, efficient public transport.
- Fergal, Ireland
It's not a question of if, it's a question of when. Here in Singapore the metro is amazing. To give you an idea of how good and handy the service is, I live as far out from the city as Swords to Dublin. I use the service every day, all times of day and night, and I have never waited over 5 minutes for a train.
- Mick, Singapore
No, we don't need a bloody metro. We already have wasted an astronomic amount of money on the Luas, when all that was required was a few cans of paint and a brush to draw white bus lanes all over the city, with buses running every five minutes. There is an existing bus lane running to the airport. Why not fill it up with buses and use the much-needed cash spared in our rundown hospital service. Do the lunatics who made this proposal realise we are in a recession?
- CJH, Ireland
The Luas works - what's wrong with building more lines? Ballymun was designed to allow Luas to run down the centre of the roads, but we want to build another separate transport system. Build a Luas on the same route for a quarter of the cost, and then use the rest of the money to build more over ground light rail and tram lines. Forget about the suggestion of running underground.
- Eoin, Ireland