Dáil debates

Wednesday, 19 September 2018

BusConnects: Motion [Private Members]

 

3:55 pm

Photo of Noel RockNoel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This draft plan needs severe reworking and I am confident it will get it. I represent the Dublin North-West quadrant of the city. As my colleague, Deputy Shortall, said earlier, it is somewhat unique in that it is singularly served by the bus. It is the only form of public transport we have. We do not have a Luas or DART in that quadrant of the city. We depend on the bus. There are many elderly people and disabled people in my constituency. They depend on the bus. I use Dublin Bus every single day to get in here. I am aware of the positives of Dublin Bus and I am glad to see Deputy O'Callaghan highlighting them, but I am also aware that it can be improved. It can be improved. Orbital routes are a potential improvement. Improvements in frequency are a potential improvement. Every day we see potential improvements being rolled out across the Dublin Bus fleet, such as the introduction of WiFi, Leap cards, etc.

The BusConnects proposals, however, are causing great and grave concern for people. Accordingly, I would advise such people to get involved, to play their role and part in the public consultation, and to make sure that their voices are heard in it. The public consultation only lasts one more week, until 28 September. It is vitally important not only that we have the debate ourselves as public representatives but that the people get to have their say, get their voices heard, and let the NTA, Jarrett Walker and the powers that be know that this plan could do with improvement, that the edges could be knocked off it, and that a better plan can be put forward in the future. That is why public consultations exist and I am confident that, when the public has its say, this plan will be changed and amended accordingly. I would love to speak more but my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, has a great deal more to say.

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