The National Transport Authority has said it is amending a new BusConnects route in Dublin just a month after it began operating, following concerns by residents who say it was causing chaos for commuters.
The 80 bus service began operating on 19 October through Chapelizod village after it replaced the previous 26 service, which ran from Liffey Valley in west Dublin, traversing the north quays to Merrion Square.
The 80 route runs from Liffey Valley through Chapelizod, to the south of the city through High Street and South Great George's Street.
The NTA said the "amended route will now run all the way along the north quays to O'Connell Bridge and Custom House Quay, before heading north".
It said proposal will merge the 80 with the existing 130 route that runs from the city centre to Clontarf.
"The newly-aligned service will run along the current 80 route as far as Bridge St, but will continue along the north quays to Eden Quay and then northward through the city centre to Clontarf. It will continue to have a 10-minute peak-time frequency in line with the current 80 and 130," the NTA said.
The NTA said the new route will come into operation in the second quarter of 2026.
In a statement, NTA Director of Public Transport Services Jeremy Ryan said: "We acknowledge that for a variety of reasons including city centre congestion, the 80 got off to a rocky start and didn’t meet expectations.
"When rolling out phases of the BusConnects network, we always give a commitment to monitor the new services, identify any issues that arise, and to put in a fix where appropriate. That’s what we are doing today."
"In planning the redesigned bus network, the NTA considered the planned transformation of College Green and Dame Street by Dublin City Council into a pedestrian-friendly plaza.
"The creation of this new public space means east-west bus movements through College Green will no longer be possible.
"That was why we had routed route 80 by Bridge Street rather than O’Connell Bridge to get to the south city," he added.
