New plans to introduce high frequency bus services in Dublin have been unveiled to cater for 400,000 daily commuter journeys.
The plans under the BusConnects project would involve ending local routes in favour of high frequency radial and orbital routes.
They promise high frequency buses every four minutes but would require many commuters to change buses during their journey.
For instance current bus routes to Crumlin and Ranelagh would in future only travel on the main roads in and out of the city centre.
Local areas off the main route would be serviced by a new orbital route going from Crumlin to Ballsbridge.
The main radial bus corridors through the city centre would be consolidated between fixed terminuses such as the airport to Ranelagh and Artane to Crumlin.
Different bus routes would use these corridors but only branch out to serve local areas when they reach these destinations.
The plans would also introduce bus feeder routes, for instance allowing a high frequency service connecting Dunboyne with a main bus corridor from Blanchardstown.
The plans were drawn up by the National Transport Authority along with international public transport consultant Jarrett Walker.
Mr Walker said a new system with less bus routes travelling on high frequency radial and orbital routes would allow greater "freedom" to bus commuters with greater accessibility to the entire city.
It would involve changing buses for a minority of commuters but he said this "nuisance" would be mitigated by making the fare the same despite changing buses, proper bus shelters, real time passenger information and "safe walks" for walking from one bus stop to another.
The plans now go for public consultation before a detailed plan is drawn up.
