Madam, - I read with great interest Tim O'Brien's report from Munich, detailing how its chronic traffic congestion was solved (The Irish Times, April 27th). One of the major measures was to establish 28 park-and-ride sites, each with a capacity for 1,000 cars, with security, covered walkways and lighting. The charges for car owners are €75 a year. The report also says that Minister of State, Ivor Callely, said he would start a 10-year transport plan next month, to include a network of park-and-ride sites around Dublin.
Could I suggest that he start with the Monkstown-Salthill DART station? When CIE owned the car-park there was no charge. Since Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Council took it over a parking fee of €5 per day has been imposed. This would amount to €1,300 a year for a five-day a week commuter. It is obvious that these charges were introduced not out of concern for commuters, but solely to make money for the council. The commuters have refused to pay so the car-park appears to be about a quarter full each day. Fortunately, I can walk to the station.
The result, however, is that the commuters now park all over the place - on both sides of Carrickbrennan Road, Castle Park, Richmond Hill and Richmond Grove. There are now about 100 cars parked from early morning until late evening every day on Carrickbrennan Road, some on the corners, some on the path. Richmond Hill is now a single lane. To add to the chaos, the traffic coming from Dalkey now diverts down Carrickbrennan Road since George's Street was pedestrianised.
With a creche and a large school on the Dún Laoghaire side of the road, parents have to run the gauntlet every day to help children get across, while residents trying to get out of their houses must also be discommoded. There is every likelihood that there will be a serious accident, apart altogether from the considerable inconvenience.
Since the council has allowed this chaos to prevail for over six months, I now call on Mr Callely to take whatever steps he can to have the parking charges at the station abolished, or at least reduced, so that his park-and-ride proposal can be implemented effectively and the siege of Monkstown lifted. - Yours, etc,
RUTH ROWLEY, Richmond Avenue, Monkstown, Co Dublin.