(Right: Work outside
Greystones railway station,
January 2009. Photo McNiff)
DOUBTS ARISE AS TRAFFIC
PROJECT NEARS CLOSE
At the town’s busy commuter hub beside the train station, finely cut blocks of granite have been laid. Pavements have been expanded outwards, narrowing the road for vehicles. New parking bays for drivers and public transport have been zoned and carved out. But just as the €500,000 project nears the finishing line doubts have arisen among our elected representatives.
Passengers will be able to watch people drawing money from the local bank’s hole in the wall, one councillor said. Of course, it is for the bank to preserve the privacy of the bank's customers, not the Town Council.
The whole area is too narrow, traffic will be gridlocked, was another criticisms; and a bus driver’s representative voiced concerns about the bus bay being able to accommodate one bus at a time when there other private bus companies to be considered, each one arriving during rush hour periods.
The dissent will continue and the consultants who planned the scheme will be the target. What could they have been thinking of?
Well, one consideration might be that one
day soon – say fity years from now – gas will be rationed for public transport
only. There may be none at all for
private motorists.