The announced redesign for the Dublin Bus network leaves some commuters wondering if it will work?
After three years and three rounds of public consultation, the final shape of the revamped bus service is published. The route alterations are part of the wider Bus Connects project. The National Transport Authority (NTA) says new Dublin bus network will increase services by 23%.
The original plan by international transport consultant Jarrett Walker would have resulted in the loss of direct connections to the city centre for areas like Dunboyne in County Meath, which already have a rail link.
Under the revised plan, Dunboyne will now have a direct connection during rush hours. During off peak hours, commuters will have to change buses in Blanchardstown. One commuter has concerns that this revision as It will affect a lot of students in Dunboyne.
The new bus network is based on eight new super frequency spines and 12 orbital routes, along with hundreds of local routes. These changes are needed despite the increased number of people working from home.
The Minister for Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport, Eamon Ryan, thinks even in a pandemic, people still need to move around.
We'll still need public transport in a COVID and a post-COVID world.
The NTA says the implementation of the overall design will be in eleven phases over a number of years, beginning in early 2021. The first routes to open are expected to be the H to Howth, followed by the C to Lucan.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 24 September 2020. The reporter is John Kilraine.
