People Before Profit Councillor Conor Reddy has condemned the rollout of the new F-Spine bus services across the Finglas area, after widespread disruption since last Sunday.
A local survey launched by Reddy last night received 150 responses between 6 pm and 8 am, alongside a flood of complaints from residents on social media.
Commenting on the public response to the new routes, Reddy said: “This chaos was entirely predictable. I’ve seen it coming for months.
“We had a petition, residents on Beneavin Road had their own petition, but we were ignored by the NTA.
“The loss of the direct link to the north inner city from large parts of Finglas and the drops in frequency were always going to cause serious problems.
“The 23 and 24 services are now running at about half the peak frequency the previous services did.
“And with the F1, F2 and F3 no longer connecting the west and south of Finglas properly, people are being cut off from work, school and essential services.
“Added to this mess is confusion, with some people reporting that they did not receive information booklets on new routes from the NTA”
Cllr Reddy says the survey has “quickly exposed” just how widespread the disruption is across Finglas. The most common issues reported include:
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No single bus linking large parts of Finglas (East) to the North Inner City after the loss of the 9 and 83.
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No bus linking Finglas West and Finglas South, forcing people to take multiple buses or long walks.
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No service on Beneavin Road, isolating residents and visitors to Beneavin Nursing Home.
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Poor frequency and cancellations on the 23 and 24, particularly at peak times.
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Severe congestion on Whitworth Road, adding 20–45 minutes to journeys.
Many people reported buses not showing up, drivers unsure of new routes, and journeys taking twice as long as before.
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One commuter said their journey from Finglas to the city centre now takes 1 hour 20 minutes, compared with 40 minutes previously.
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Another resident wrote that they had to get a taxi to work after four buses were cancelled in an hour.
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One local carer said the new routes make it “extremely difficult for the elderly, students, and carers to get around Finglas”.
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Several residents highlighted pensioners now unable to reach Beneavin Nursing Home or the post office on Glasnevin Avenue.
“These aren’t minor teething problems, they’re serious failures that are leaving people isolated and late for work or school.
“The new routes were supposed to improve services, but they’ve made life harder for thousands of people,” Reddy said.
Reddy is writing to the NTA to demand an immediate review of the rollout, the restoration of local links, extra peak-time capacity on the 23 and 24, among other changes.
These demands follow on the back of a petition Reddy launched over a month ago( Keep Finglas Connected – For a Better Bus Service | MyUplift). Reddy has pledged to continue campaigning on these issues.