Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)

I will get to the good part for the Deputy.

Many communities have benefited from the first direct connection to the likes of UCD from the Long Mile Road, Crumlin hospital, Ballyfermot, Cherry Orchard, Rathgar and Milltown on the S4, and Firhouse Road, Cherryfield and Templeogue on the S6 route.

The Deputy asked about the S6. It will move to a high-frequency timetable to improve punctuality, while the S8 will get run time adjustments to boost reliability. These improvements will go live on 30 November.

Coming back to what the Deputy has said, the important thing is that we have a reliable service, that people understand the routes and where to get on and off and that we create, as I said earlier, an experience for passengers such that they will continue to use public transport. We are investing a lot of money in public transport. We are investing a lot of money in BusConnects. We are investing money in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. The important thing is that if the routes do not work right, it is bad value for money. While we will have teething problems when we start a new route, it is important that we let people know and engage with the public, not just public representatives, and that we do so through multifaceted communication. It is important that if something is not working, we look and see how we can improve it rather than just leaving it there.

We have a lot in the Department of Transport to bring back to the NTA after tonight's discussions, and a lot of it has a common thread. Public transport is probably working relatively well, but when there is a problem it becomes the overburdening thing in people's minds. We need to act faster to get these small imperfections sorted out in order that we have a smoother transport system. I thank the Deputy for raising the matter with me.

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