THE Automobile Association has welcomed indications from the Minister for Transport, Mr Dukes, that he would be prepared to look again at the option of putting Dublin's Luas light rail system underground in the city centre.
"This is very good news indeed," said Mr Conor Faughnan, the AA's spokesman.
"The underground option has been ruled out by the Luas team as being too expensive, yet there is no clear information on what the cost would be. We must know if we are to judge what is best for the city."
In a three page position paper on the £220 million light rail project, the AA says Luas trams "will take up space previously used by cars. They will also block junctions and cross routes ... This will make the congestion problem for the remaining cars worse, not better."
It challenges "the stance taken by some Luas proponents that one of the cardinal virtues of the system is that it will block vehicular traffic". If the function of light rail was to make Dublin's transport system more efficient, it would not be achieved "simply by sabotaging the car".
Only "ideological arguments" had been publicly advanced in favour of an on street system, with the underground option being dismissed on cost grounds. But the AA insisted that all the options should be costed and assessed. "Luas may be the best choice, but let us make sure of that."
It agreed that security and userfriendliness were crucial elements for a successful underground rail system. The "perceived distaste for undergrounds, especially among females", which had become a key argument for promoting on street light rail, could be addressed, it said.
One fault of the Luas design was that it did not allow for direct integration with other transport services, such as the DART. People travelling from Sandymount to Tallaght should be able to buy one ticket, instead of having to walk up to 500 yards between the two systems.
The AA said "park and ride" was also important to the success of light rail, yet only £500,000 had been allocated for such facilities. "If the aim is to convert drivers into Luas passengers, then it is essential that motorists should be able to park their cars beside the stations.
