Dublin’s latest tram line has been accused of causing traffic chaos since it opened last week, and now it has been found that a part of the journey is speedier on foot.
The Luas Cross City tram line has taken four years to complete, costing some €368million (£324million), and runs for 3.7miles through Dublin’s city centre.
An investigation by the Irish Sun found that a nine-minute journey through central Dublin took just over seven-and-a-half minutes to walk.
Costly chaos: The £324million Luas Cross City tram line through central Dublin opened last week after four years of construction
Both reporters started off at the Luas Cross City tram stop by St Stephen’s Green, and were timed on their journey to O’Connell Street.
The reporter who took the tram got to O’Connell Street in nine minutes and eight seconds, while the man who took a brisk walk made it in seven minutes and 46 seconds.
The new tram line has already come under harsh critique, despite only being open for less than a week.
Taking to the street: A test of the route from St. Stephen’s Green and O’Connell Street found that it was quicker to walk than to take the tram
The cross-city trams have been accused of causing traffic jams and blocking cyclists, buses and cars, which in turn has made commuters’ life hell.
Many residents have taken to social media to air their grievances, with some accusing the local government of wasting money.
‘How can Dublin City Council & Luas justify 10 mins of red light for major artery into Dublin city centre?,’ one person posted on Twitter.
Anger: Frustrated Dublin commuters have taken to Twitter to air their grievances regarding the traffic chaos caused by the new tram line
Twitter user Sinead Larkin wrote: ‘For years Dublin got by just fine without the #luascrosscity Now we have something which is crippling the city. Shambolic waste of money’
Damien Lodge posted: ‘#luascrosscity @Luas week 1 and never seen such late arrivals and packed trams #getyouracttogether’
Naoise Roantree added: ‘@Luas thanks to #luascrosscity we now have 15 minute waits for trams on the green line at peak times.’
Images posted on social media show buses and cyclists waiting while trams blocked roads in central Dublin, however the AA said traffic chaos was likely to disappear once the public got used to it.
‘We believe any issues today were down to road users adapting to the new layouts,’ a spokesperson for AA Roadwatch told Independent.ie.
‘Overall we believe the new cross city Luas will be very beneficial to commuters in Dublin.’