Herald punishes RPA for dissent

Propellerhead

Michael Sheedy got this letter published in the Indo yesterday morning:

The real story on Luas repair
Irish Independent - Letters - Tuesday 10 January 2006

Sir - I refer to the extensive reports last week in your paper in relation to Luas. It is remarkable that a story centring on an issue with no safety implications or cost implications or significant disruption implications can prompt contributions from no less than four journalists and the dedication of the editorial section. This says much about your editorial policy.

I am extremely disappointed at the level of inaccuracy in many of the articles, particularly your editorial, despite the fact that your journalist was afforded full assistance during the course of seven phone calls by three members of the RPA management.

Your editorial states that Luas "looks set to cost perhaps another €100m in running repairs". You stretch your own credibility given that Treacy Hogan on page one refers to flaws costing "as much as €10m to fix".

It will not be necessary to rip up any track, contrary to your claim that one-third of Luas track will need to be ripped up. Whilst the type of track construction concerned represents one-third of all Luas track, less than 5% will require modification.

Your front page photo showing a worker on the Luas line on Middle Abbey Street is completely misleading in that it suggests that the polymer issue arises on city-centre streets. This is not the case and this was made very clear to your journalist.

The graphic on page five again misrepresents the extent/location of the problem areas and illustrates a type of track construction that is unaffected. No remedial works are required between Adelaide Road and St Stephen's Green.

It also shows that the area between Smithfield and Rialto is affected. This is totally false despite the fact that your reporter was advised accordingly. The confusion is further compounded by the feature on the resident of Rialto who is annoyed at the disruption the repairs may cause in her locality. This unfounded concern was fuelled by your journalist.

You state that "if the investigation by the Institute for Railway Engineering at the University of Graz had not revealed the potential gravity - the situation would probably have gone unattended to". I also made it patently clear to Treacy Hogan that the problem first came to light in April 2004 as a direct consequence of quality-control procedures put in place by RPA.

Finally, I take great exception to your assertion that "it now appears that passengers' safety has been compromised from the very start" and that there are "God-like" figures in the RPA. The RPA has professional staff who never compromise passenger safety, who will make the correct decisions regardless of external influences, alleged or otherwise and who will continue to act in the best interests of the taxpayer.
Michael Sheedy,
Director, Light Rail,
RPA

Independent Newspapers got their revenge tonight in the Herald.

Gerry Carroll, their "Laying down the Law" Columnist had a little rant.

While the Port Tunnel isn't open yet, the much hyped Luas system also faces farce. It only stretches a mere 24km yet the light rail system will require urgent major surgery to conceal what looks like a major cock-up. You couldn't write some of the problems that have arisen. It is only open a wet weekend yet the tracks are already failing and will require urgent repairs. It's a case of damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. If we ignore the problem then lives could eventually be endangered yet it will cost a fortune ot fix it. The Luas was supposed to revolutionise travel and take cars off the road but it has made no difference.

In fact, this latest major blip will only serve to shatter the confidence of commuters and encourage them to get back into their cars which will add to the gridlock

Meanwhile, the Herald's motoring correspondent Ian Mallon decided, completely independently no doubt, to have a pop at Luas as well.

What an unbelievable start to year we've had, Petrol-heads. The week began with a tale from the 'You're Never Gonna Believe This' stable and ended with a legend from the 'No, You're Really Never Gonna Believe This' stable. First there was that laughable Luas story. The relevation that Martin Cullen's cash eating gargantuan was broken before it was even launched. We learned that eight kilometres of the €800m rail system are dodgy, unsafe and in need of repair. My two-and-a-half year old got a Thomas the Tank Engine train set for Christmas, and it is of sounder foundation than this excuse of a public transport system......

Well, I use the tram every day between Heuston and Abbey Street and then from the Green to Ranelagh, it stops me from using my car and I don't see any fall off in the numbers using it.

I suppose if public transport provided as much advertising lolly as the motor industry to Independent Newspapers they'd change their tune.

Nuttzz

doesnt really need saying but the herald is a rag

Metrobest

All the "Independent" newspapers in Ireland are rags. They never let the facts get in the way of a good story. The Irish Independent has gone particularly downhill since the tabloid editor took over.

Such a shame because the UK Independent is a fantastic newspaper and very supportive of public transport and the environment in general.

Sarsfield

Nuttzz wrote:

doesnt really need saying but the herald is a rag

I disgaree. It should be said often and loudly. The Herald is a rag. So is the Indo.

John R

Metrobest wrote:

All the "Independent" newspapers in Ireland are rags. They never let the facts get in the way of a good story. The Irish Independent has gone particularly downhill since the tabloid editor took over.

How often is it that I agree with one of your posts Metrobest.*

The Independent and the Herald are basically the same, the Herald just uses shorter words to print the same garbage.

I had the displeasure of being acquainted with a man who had a very position in the Independent group and who was known to on occasion impress upon certain staff members his liking for stories to take a certain direction not necessarily in line with the available facts.

This charming fellow along with several of his cohorts with links to the indo were seen acting uncharacteristically nervous one morning, co-incidentally this was the very same day one of the big Fianna Fail brown paper bag stories broke.

I cracked open a very expensive bottle of vintage whiskey the day I heard that repulsive man had died.


*I can't help wondering if your position on the paper would have been the same if an equally inaccurate story was printed regarding an organisation you don't approve of.

BrianD

Knocking public projects has become the story of choice by most journalists in the Indo and indeed elsewhere. Why? Because it's easy, they ain't going to sue and deep down all of us like to rebel a bit against authority and the infrastructure they "impose" on us (even though we all say "how did we ever do without ..." afterwards). BTW all motoring journalists in Ireland are a joke - few know anything about cars, transport etc and are nothing more than press release journalists.

Problem is that the promoters of these projects seem to be bad at PR and the underlying problem is that because the Government seem to making up our infrastructure as they go along in a reactive rather a proactive manner there does seem to a lack of joined up thinking.

I was listening to Newstalk this AM and Dunphy was giving the Dublin City manager a grilling. The guy was on a hiding to nowhere. Behind each of the issues e.g. the leak there is a problem but unfortunately they have been blown out of all proportion. So once he admitts to the leak it is now taken as granted that the media are correct,

Metrobest

Frank McDonald had a story the other day that the Department of Transport won't release costings for certain Transport 21 projects until they goes out to tender. McDonald believes disclosure of final cost estimates would be "in the public interest" and is to appeal the decision. I beg to differ. Why would it be in the public interest to have an artificially inflated tender process as the bidders would know what price the state is prepared to pay before putting in a bid, thus weakening the state's position.

The media want the government to give estimates for each project as it would provide fodder for stories in years to come along the lines of "in 2005 they said it would cost X and now it's going to cost Y". I don't blame the government for not wanting to release the figures to a hostile media which is motivated by self interest, not public interest.

Perfect case in point is the M3, a most neccessary piece of infrasture. In most countries, the media would reflect the concerns of the general citizens: dangerous roads and disgraceful journey times into the capital city. The Irish media prefers to give a platform to an assorted clique of treehuggers and celtic druids, "Save Tara", who believe a motorway built further away from the sacred hill than the existing road and housing is a threat to humanity as we know it. The real story is that Vincent Salafia & Co are costing the Irish taxpayer dearly in time and money by delaying the project. The Irish media has no moral courage to advocate positive change - it is full of armchair critics who have no new ideas: the Irish media provides the chief whinge platform for a nation that loves to whinge.

Transport21 Fan

The Railway Safety Commission is not concerned by the Luas track issue to any significant degree.

Victor

Metrobest wrote:

Frank McDonald had a story the other day that the Department of Transport won't release costings for certain Transport 21 projects until they goes out to tender. McDonald believes disclosure of final cost estimates would be "in the public interest" and is to appeal the decision. I beg to differ. Why would it be in the public interest to have an artificially inflated tender process as the bidders would know what price the state is prepared to pay before putting in a bid, thus weakening the state's position.

The media want the government to give estimates for each project as it would provide fodder for stories in years to come along the lines of "in 2005 they said it would cost X and now it's going to cost Y". I don't blame the government for not wanting to release the figures to a hostile media which is motivated by self interest, not public interest.

There is a genuine concern that T21 only has a budget, no breakdown, no project list, no scope. They could provide a O-guage* railway and claim they came in under budget.

* model railway

MarkoP11

Transport21 Fan wrote:

The Railway Safety Commission is not concerned by the Luas track issue to any significant degree.

Doesn't that set alarm bells ringing ?

Even if they had concerns they currently have no power or authority to do anything (I have that in writting from them), the railway inspectorate is too tied in with the DoT to have the real freedom to take action (one of the reasons why the RSC was created) and the regulations currently in force are only really applicable if someone gets killed

A Dub in Glasgo

MarkoP11 wrote:

Doesn't that set alarm bells ringing ?

Even if they had concerns they currently have no power or authority to do anything (I have that in writting from them), the railway inspectorate is too tied in with the DoT to have the real freedom to take action (one of the reasons why the RSC was created) and the regulations currently in force are only really applicable if someone gets killed

They are only the interim Railway Safety Commission (RSC) until the government gets their finger out and create the RSC proper. At the moment, they are still the DoT inspectors with very little legislative clout. When the government decide to enact the Railway Safety Bill (2001), they will have teeth.