Dublin City Council has been accused by Green Party transport spokesman Éamon Ryan of "living in the dark ages" in its management of city centre traffic.
He was reacting to an interview in The Irish Timesyesterday with the Railway Procurement Agency chief executive Frank Allen, who said Luas trams were being delayed by traffic lights.
"The revelation that Luas trams are taking up to 48 minutes to get from Tallaght is an indictment of the city's traffic management system", Mr Ryan said, adding that it made "no sense" for trams not to get priority.
Sandyford trams were often delayed for 90 seconds at the junction of Harcourt Street and St Stephen's Green where "over 250 people in the tram can be kept waiting while a small number of cars get the green light".
The council said it had invested substantial resources in the light rail system, and the extensive implementation of the traffic light priority system had been recognised as a major factor in the success of the Luas.
"Luas gets priority at 90 per cent of city junctions, including at Harcourt Street. The remaining 10 per cent are the small number of junctions where Luas competes with other public transport options."
