Short notice Luas works put commuters off track – Richmond

Dublin Rathdown based Fine Gael Senator, Neale Richmond, has today called on Transdev and the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to be more considerate of Luas users when commencing works on the line and altering the service.

“Since the closure of the Sandyford Park and Ride facility on Friday last, with the loss of nearly 50 car park spaces, I have been contacted by several frustrated local people who are suffering the knock on effects of this.

“I appreciate that the works are vital to accommodate the much welcomed longer trams, something I have been calling on the Minister for Transport Shane Ross to prioritise. However giving less than a week’s notice for these works during a holiday period bed is very frustrating for commuters.

“These LUAS customers have already been forced to endure increasingly congested trams over the last number of months and a little consideration to their commute would have been appreciated I am sure.

“I have written to the Managing Director of Transdev (the LUAS operator) asking for the company to engage with local parking providers to ensure adequate spaces are available for LUAS users. As well as being important for the commuters themselves, it will also help to safeguard local estates across the Sandyford area from becoming the unintended victims of these works through increased offsite parking.

“They could also work better with car park operators to ensure the commute is hassle free for LUAS users. For example they could harmonise the payment system in Sandyford carpark with the considerably larger Stillorgan car park. This would go a long way to increasing harmony between Transdev and the long suffering commuter

“The extended trams are much needed and will hopefully address some of the concerns I have raised for months now in relation to congestion.

“However shunting through operational changes to the LUAS service with such short notice because of works I’m certain were well flagged, is neither a solution nor a way to improve relations with customers.”