Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----as there always are when one introduces a radical measure of this sort, but they are not insuperable and that is why the NTA is out there day and night with members of its staff listening to Members and others speak about the difficulties they have. Those concerns which are considered legitimate will be remedied.

The Government is continuing to take steps to address the underinvestment in integrated public transport following the crisis where public investment was constrained to safeguard the provision of essential public services. Project 2040 rightly recognises that significant investment in public transport will be required to accommodate change and growth, while also providing more choice for the travelling public and improving the quality of people's lives. Together with the National Transport Authority's Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035, Project Ireland 2040, through the national development plan, NDP, provides for the planning and delivery of public transport infrastructure and services over the short, medium and long term.

Recent reports show that approximately 70% of people travelling into Dublin city each morning do so by sustainable transport. Each day the majority, that is 57% of all public transport trips, equating to 136 million passenger journeys annually, use the bus for their commute. Given the numbers, it is no surprise that the bus has to be the main component of the solution to address the current congestion problem and to meet future transport needs. One of the flagship investments to be delivered within Project Ireland 2040 and the ten-year NDP horizon is BusConnects for Ireland's cities, commencing roll-out in Dublin. BusConnects is a key investment priority for public transport to address congestion in Dublin in the short to medium term.

A radical improvement in the bus system can deliver a positive change in public transport performance across all areas of the Dublin region within a relatively short time. The objective of BusConnects is to deliver a bus system that will enable more people to travel by bus than ever before, and allow bus commuting to become a viable and attractive choice for employees, students, shoppers and visitors. BusConnects will include continuous bus lanes as far as is practicable along the busiest bus corridors, along with a network of park and ride facilities at key locations. It will also involve 11 orbital routes that will operate on a 15-minute frequency or better, in the north, south and west of the network area. Enhanced and expanded services will deliver 27% more capacity. As far as customers are concerned, this can only be a good thing, and likewise for transport workers. There will also be major improvements to deliver next generation ticketing and passenger information systems, a simpler route identification system and fare structure and a fleet transition to lower emissions. All that means the number of people living within 400 m of a bus service that operates every ten minutes or still more frequently will increase by 35%, from 480,000 to 650,000. There will be an increase of 10% in fleet serving the greater Dublin area with significant increases in weekend and post-peak services.

BusConnects is not just about buses, as this plan will provide much needed cycling facilities and make it easier and more attractive to cycle around the city region. Given the increasing number of cyclists across Dublin there is an imperative to provide safe and segregated cycling facilities where possible. The NTA has calculated that more than 200 km of cycle tracks or lanes will be built or current lanes improved upon. A better cycling network is good for all transport users. It avoids cyclists sharing bus lanes with buses and will remove many of the conflicts between buses, cars and cyclists. The House will be aware that the NTA published its proposals for the core bus corridors project report setting out the outline of 16 radial routes, together with 200 km of cycling lanes, into and out of the city. The NTA expects to publish the detailed and considered proposals for each of the 16 corridors in October. At that stage, a full public consultation process will commence. That will allow people to provide feedback and their thoughts on the proposals and the NTA will fully engage with people along the corridors and surrounding areas.

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