New Dublin Area Bus Network published.

Last week saw the publication by the National Transport Authority of its finalised Dublin Area Bus Network as part of the BusConnects project.

This part of BusConnects relates solely to bus services only and not the Core Bus Corridors (bus lanes and cycle lanes/tracks). The new bus network will serve existing and future passengers in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Reducing the need for private cars and moving more people to public transport is a key part of tackling climate change. The current bus network has many overlapping routes where the bus services are not evenly spaced and there is little integration between bus services and other modes of transport. The New Dublin Area Bus Network will be a more reliable and more efficient service that will take more people, to more places, more often.

This is a plan that has been subject to three rounds of public consultation and more than 70,000 submissions from the public. Most of the concerns identified during the various periods of public consultation have been addressed in the process of finalising the revised network which will be implemented in phases. The NTA has commenced engagement with operators in identifying and addressing all the factors required to implement the revised network.

So, what happens next? The new network will be implemented on a phased basis over several years commencing in 2021. It will take place over 11 phases. A comprehensive customer experience programme will be rolled out alongside the implementation of the new network to ensure that the public will be fully informed of all changes to bus services and when they will occur. This process will be supported by proactive engagement with bus users, localised advertising campaigns, public information campaigns and engagement with relevant stakeholders and disability groups.

If you would like more information about how the new bus routes will affect you and your community, details are available online at https://bit.ly/3mQKUfR. Due to the ongoing restrictions arising from Covid-19, hard copies of the above documents are in limited supply and will only be provided in exceptional circumstances upon request. All documents are also available in HTML, PDF and Audio versions on www.busconnects.ie.

If you have any questions or queries about the revised Dublin Area Bus Network will impact your community, please get in touch with me at RayMcAdam@gmail.com.