Transport chiefs must appear before Oireachtas Committee over shambolic new Dublin bus route – Seery Kearney

The National Transport Authority (NTA) and Dublin Bus must come before the Oireachtas Transport Committee over a new Dublin bus route that has been riddled with delays and cancelled services, Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery Kearney has said.

Senator Seery Kearney, who represents Dublin South Central, said: “On 16^th October, Dublin Bus commenced the long-awaited changes that saw the 79, 79A and 40 bus routes replaced by the G1, G2 and Route 60. The new buses mainly serve Ballyfermot, Liffey Valley, Inchicore, Clondalkin, Cherry Orchard and Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and are operated by Dublin Bus.

“However just over a week since it’s commencement and I am receiving calls and emails of buses not showing up, of locals not knowing where their new bus stops are, and of a total disconnect between the real time app, the digital read-outs at the bus stops and the arrival of buses.

“Several locals have complained to me that even when buses are arriving on time, they are not stopping because they are already at capacity.

“On Friday, the 16:30 and 17:30 60 bus services were unable to operate due to a staffing issue on the route. This is unacceptable for commuters particularly during rush hour when people are trying to get home from work and school.

“The communication of these changes has also been a total mess, with posters placed on bus stops that are illegible, an example of this would be the notice at the bus stop in College Green. It cannot be read by a person standing at the bus stop.

“Changes should not be introduced without adequate notice to the public and ensuring that there is adequate staffing and bus vehicles to actually deliver the changes on the ground.

“At a time when we are trying to encourage the use of public transport it is absolutely unacceptable that bus capacity if anything appears to be reduced, communication with the public is woeful and consequently there is an erosion of confidence that service users will actually get to their destination on time, meaning they are more likely to revert to a car.

“The National Transport Authority (NTA) is responsible for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure in the Greater Dublin Area, including BusConnects Dublin.

“I have written to the Oireachtas Transport Committee to urgently seek a meeting to review this utter shambles. I am also of the view that officials from the NTA and Dublin Bus should come before the Committee to explain the rationale for the changes and concerns over the frequency of the new Route 60.”