Kilkenny People |
Let us not feed the monoxide monster |
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Sir I entirely agree, as a qualified planner, with concerns expressed at a crowded meeting in the county recently; and those same concerns apply now in every part of rural Ireland. This network of four-lane and six-lane carriageways, roundabouts and over-bridges are the very antithesis of a stroll or a walk or a bike run in Ireland; they have a limitless appetite for consuming land space, while their future maintenance will be a heavy burden far exceeding the envisaged toll income. Nor will they reduce mortality and injury, a crying shame now in our country; going on the experience of Germany and the U.S., a network in interlacing motor roads will add greatly to our death toll. I do not believe that these excessive and grandiose schemes, now running in excess of £5 billion, and likely to cost three times that figure, ever obtained democratic sanction from the electorate, nor was an overall plan of Ireland so interlaced ever displayed; even if it had been I would say that it would be an excess we should avoid, particularly in this age when we should be reining in carbon monoxide and noise pollution and the dominance of motorised transport. The single line rail track Dublin to Waterford city could, provided Iarnroad Eireann had the freight cars, transport within one 24 hours all of the road freight now travelling to Waterford city in one week. Unfortunately we are not likely to see that happen but let us not feed the monoxide monster with vast wide roadways. Every threatened area should at once consider putting forward an anti motorway candidate; they would receive more than a pennyworth of support from me; yes they would. Yours etc., Uniseann MacEoin, Architect and Planner 19 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1
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