BusConnects not working, say Ballymun and Finglas residents

Local politicians have put pressure on the government and the National Transport Authority to address persistent issues with BusConnects.

The BusConnects service has seen major teething issues since it was rolled out, with services on the Northside leaving a lot to be desired.

Ghost buses, a lack of shelter and struggles to keep to a timetable have been common occurrences with the BusConnects system, specifically, for Glasnevin and Finglas residents.

Local politicians Rory Hearne (Social Democrats TD) and Conor Reddy (People Before Profit councillor) have held a series of public meetings where they have heard from local residents about the issues they are facing.

While Dublin Bus and GoAhead have used excuses of lacking drivers, mechanics and engineers, the reasons given for poor bus services can only stretch so far among Northsiders.

Both Hearne and Reddy have held public meetings in recent weeks to get a taste of what commuters are feeling, with meetings being told of missed medical appointments, having commute times to work massively increased, and in some situations, being “cut off” from the rest of Dublin following route changes.

Hearne said “the BusConnects project has real potential to improve services for the people of Dublin but it is clear that, as things stand, it is not working for many of the public.”

The Dublin North-West TD, who was elected this week last year, said there was a “huge” turnout at his public meeting, which he said is “indicative of the depth of frustration and concern among residents and bus users in the area.”

“The serious issues with bus services in the area are having a particularly profound impact on our most vulnerable people, including older people and those with disabilities. Finglas and Glasnevin have quite a large elderly population and those who rely on public transport,” he noted.

Drilling down into specifics, Hearne noted that there is now a “total lack of connection” between Fingal West and South, with the new 23 and 24 routes failing to serve O’Connell Street and the city centre.

The withdrawal of the bus service on Beneavin Road, which served the local nursing home, was also seen as a point of contention at the meeting.

The Social Democrats TD said, “there has been a serious lack of accountability and meaningful engagement from both the NTA and the Minister for Transport to date.”

“I have raised the issues with BusConnects in the Dáil, directly with the NTA on numerous occasions, and written to the Minister. I can only conclude that, up to this point, the Minister is abdicating responsibility for the rollout of BusConnects and the functioning of our public transport system and passing the buck solely to the NTA.”

The Dublin North-West TD said, “I am calling for Minister O’Brien to finally step up on this issue and ensure a full review of BusConnects Phase 7 is carried out by the NTA without delay.”

In a letter to Minister O’Brien, seen by Northside People, Hearne noted that as many as 36.5% of Ballymun residents have no access to a car, with a figure in the 21% to 32% range in the nearby Finglas area.

“It is evident that there are significant numbers of people in Dublin North-West who rely almost entirely on their bus service for access to other parts of Dublin,” he noted.

Ultimately, bus services should be people-centric, with the communities they serve at the heart of their design. It is clear that something is not working with the current configuration of the bus

routes in Dublin North-West, and I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you and the NTA to work towards addressing this problem.”

Hearne has appealed to Minister O’Brien directly to “act promptly” to ensure that Dublin North-West is not “left behind” as the project continues to be rolled out across Dublin.

As a result of the meeting, a Glasnevin Bus Action Group was established and will be launching a campaign to raise awareness for local commuters.

Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne

People Before Profit councillor Conor Reddy, along with local constituents, handed in a petition to the NTA offices in Smithfield, saying “the NTA has not listened so far; they will have to listen now.”

The Ballymun-Finglas councillor said that the NTA are “failing workers, families, older people, and even the drivers who are trying to get the system going.”

Reddy said that his own public meeting on the issue was “packed to the rafters,” and heard stories of people missing hospital appointments, school children and students being stranded on their way to school and college, and older people and people with disabilities being left waiting at bus stops with no clarity about when the bus will arrive.

“We need local links as well as connections to the parts of town that people want to get to, and right now many people in Finglas have neither. People deserve a bus service that connects communities, not cuts them off,” he said.

Reddy noted that the same issues now affecting the “F-Spine” are the same ones that have been plaguing the N2 and N6 routes since they were rolled out last year.

Councillor Reddy said “we will keep organising and escalating until Finglas gets the reliable, local, accessible transport system it deserves,” with a Finglas Bus Action Group also being founded to complement the Glasnevin one.

Reddy said that larger public action is being considered by locals in a bid to get the NTA’s attention, such as a mass protest or a slow march along one of the affected bus routes.

Phase 7 of the BusConnects rollout was launched in October, with Ballymun and Finglas specifically cited in the press release as communities that will see the benefit of expanded services.

The press release stated that overall bus service levels in these areas are to increase by over 14% as a result of the new timetable and route changes.

Announcing the launch, Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, said that BusConnects is “a major step forward in delivering the Programme for Government’s commitment to better, more sustainable public transport.”

“With expanded services and new 24-hour routes, we’re connecting more communities, supporting the night-time economy, and making it easier for people to choose public transport. This is real progress towards a cleaner, more accessible Dublin.”

This week, local Green councillor Feljin Jose criticised O’Brien’s new €24.3 billion spending plans for transport in Ireland between 2026 and 2030.

When the Greens were in government, spending on public transport was at a 2:1 ratio compared to roads.

Now, Jose notes, the plan reverses the Greens’ progress on public transport, with a near-parity being designated for roads.

“This plan marks a return to a decades-old pattern for Irish governments: roads first, public transport later – if ever,” the Cabra-Glasnevin councillor remarked.