Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

One of the main frustrations is that the system very often does not connect. Part of the issue is that people were used to the old system and they knew which buses would bring them to a certain place at a certain time, and they find that is not working anymore and that there is not the same connection between other modes of transport, whether trains, buses and so on, as there was in the past. There is possibly work to be done in that regard to get information to people in a clearer and more coherent manner than has been happening.

It is about building a service that people can see is not only reliable but also safe, which is another issue. Safety is a serious problem for all modes of transport but especially for our buses. Many bus drivers are under huge pressure and a lot of antisocial issues have been contributing to that. As the service expands and grows and we have more late-night services, there also needs to be an eye to that to ensure there will be a safe and coherent public bus service that offers value for money. I accept that more people are using the service, which is exactly what we need, but, unfortunately, it does not seem to be working at the moment. Maybe they are teething problems, but we need to get them resolved fast.

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