Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last month the National Transport Authority, NTA, published the Dublin area bus network redesign public consultation report. The report notes that the existing bus network in Dublin and the main towns in north County Kildare is very complex and that it has been designed primarily around overlapping and long radial routes from the city's suburbs taking people into the city centre but with very few orbital routes. Also, recent and proposed improvements to the rail and tram networks require changes to bus services in order to gain the full potential from the improvements. As the Deputy is aware, the city and the greater Dublin area, including its main towns such as Maynooth and Celbridge, are growing and changing, as are the bus journeys people are taking. The report identifies four key strategies to address the issues with the current network: standardise service categories; simplify radial services; build frequent orbitals; and grow suburban feeder networks.

BusConnects Dublin aims to overhaul the current bus system in the wider Dublin region by building a network of new bus corridors on the busiest bus routes to make passenger bus journeys faster, predictable and reliable; completely redesigning the network of bus routes to provide passengers with a more efficient network, connecting more places and carrying more people; developing a state-of-the-art ticketing system using credit and debit cards or mobile phones to link with payment accounts and making payment much more convenient for the travelling public; implementing a cashless payment system to vastly speed up passenger boarding times; revamping the fare system to provide a simpler fare structure; allowing seamless movement of passengers between different public transport services without financial penalty; implementing a new bus livery providing a modern look and feel to the new bus system; rolling out new bus stops with better signage and passenger information and increasing the provision of additional bus shelters; and transitioning - starting now - to a new bus fleet using low-emission vehicle technologies

Against this context, the NTA is progressing the roll-out of BusConnects, commencing in Dublin. BusConnects Dublin provides the foundation for this overall transport system, with the revised bus system projected to carry the majority of passengers across the region and provide key linkages to serve the needs of Dublin into the future.

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While there will be concerns about any change, these strategies will deliver many benefits for the customer: much simpler city services; a much simpler fare structure and provide more frequent all-day services through new and frequent orbital services, interchanging with local services and high frequency radial spines. Under the proposals, an overall increase in services of 27% is expected, which, as far as customers are concerned, can only be good. The NTA estimates that, of people who currently have a direct service to the city centre, 92% will continue to have such a service under the new bus network proposals.

As the Deputy is aware, the NTA, supported by Dublin Bus, has embarked on a process of full public consultation on these bus proposals involving local brochures, local face to face events organised at various locations around the city and the surrounding region, digital imaging of the network, online surveys and consultation with user groups. They are both listening to people who have suggestions to make on how these plans can be made even better. The public consultation process will run until 28 September and presents a great opportunity for people to have their say before the plans are finalised by the NTA. The NTA expects to publish the findings of the public consultation phase before year end.

The NTA understands the issue of interchange is more difficult for elderly people and people with disabilities. Accordingly, it intends to make changes between services as seamless as possible. It is planning that each key interchange location will have a bus shelter, seating, lighting and passenger information. Where bus routes intersect at a junction, the bus stops will be moved as close as possible to the junction to minimise any walking required during the bus interchange and pedestrian crossings will be added, where necessary.

It is envisaged that BusConnects will 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 travelling between the city and surrounding regions.

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