Mr. Jeremy Ryan:

The process for adding a new stop is based on population. If we get a request, we will assess it on the basis of whether there are people nearby and if it is possible to walk from nearby to the bus stop. We need to get local authority approval for the stopping place, we then design the bus stop and we ask one of our contractors to build the bus stop. That can take a lot longer in rural areas than in urban areas because of the need to sometimes build a hard stand or even acquire land to provide the stop, which can also be an issue.

In terms of the journey time impact, that will vary depending on how many people are using the service, the boarding time and so on. For example, it is quicker to board Dublin Bus services than Bus Éireann services at the moment for ticket machine reasons.

In terms of walking distance, in urban areas and continuously built-up areas, we tend to space bus stops around 300 m to 400 m apart. The outside walking distance limit for bus is about 400 m, which is half what it would be for rail. People are much more prepared to walk to rail and Luas than to bus, so there is typically an 800 m catchment for Luas and rail but only 400 m for bus.

Low-cost shelters are something we are looking at, particularly in rural areas. We are hoping to roll those out, with local authority co-operation, as much as we can around the country in the near future.