Fianna Fáil Spokesperson for Dublin, John Lahart TD has said that the current traffic chaos that is undoubtedly connected to the launch of the new Luas Cross City could have, and should have been avoided.
“The Government might be hoping that Dublin residents will blame the current cold snap for the delays, but it’s clear that it has been the launch of the Luas Cross City service causing bedlam in the city centre.
“The Christmas shopping season is already underway, and one has to wonder why the Government pushed for its launch so close to this crucially important shopping season, without the proper traffic impact analysis being done in advance.
“Perhaps the Taoiseach and his government were hoping for congratulations from Dubliners, but it’s clear that this was the wrong time to launch such important and complex changes to our city centre traffic scheme.
“The engineers in the City Council, the Dublin Transport Authority and the operators of the Luas need to put their heads together and come up with a solution fast.
“Christmas in Dublin is a special time, not just for the residents of our city, but for tourists from overseas and from citizens up from the country. It cannot be ruined by traffic mayhem,” concluded Lahart.