A high rating for public transport and the Dublin road network is not felt by business and commuters.
Dublin has been named the seventh best public transport system in Europe in a new report. This finding is at odds with the experiences of many commuters in the city. Commuters in Dublin, frustrated by traffic gridlock and shortcomings in public transport, were left bemused by the international report. The survey was carried out by British human resources consultancy William M Mercer, which compared the quality of life across cities worldwide.
The results were in stark contrast to a survey by the Small Firms Association, which said that only Calcutta in India is worse than Dublin when it comes to getting around the city.
Pat Delaney, Small Firms Association, says that traffic gridlock increases the cost of deliveries in the city and describes it as a form of hidden inflation. As transport costs increase, prices of products rise, with the customer bearing the cost.
Time spent on the road costs money.
Brian Duncan, Mercer Consultants, says the findings of the report reflect that other cities are having similar traffic problems to Dublin. The issues experienced by commuters in Dublin are replicated in cities across Europe.
Despite the findings of the report, commuters are less than impressed by the public transport system in Dublin.
The government plans to invest £620 million in public transport and infrastructure.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 26 February 2001. The reporter is Anthony Murnane.
