Donnelly criticises standard of bus services in Dublin 15

 Sinn Féin councillor Angela Donnelly has criticised bus services in Dublin 15.

The Ongar councillor said that the 70 route, specifically, is a major hindrance for residents.

Donnelly sent a letter to the National Transport Authority, asking about the prevalence of “ghost buses” in the Dublin 15 area, and said she was not satisfied with the response given.

The NTA responded, “bus cancellations occur for a variety of reasons, such as a shortage of drivers or mechanics preventing services from operating. It can also be due to incidents occurring in service, such as traffic accidents, health emergencies or bus breakdowns.

Per the NTA, the most frequent reason for bus cancellations can be attributed to traffic congestion and traffic delays elsewhere in Dublin.

They noted that buses that are meant to reach the end of an outbound trip in sufficient time to make the return journey, frequently get held up in heavier than usual traffic congestion, and that translates to them being unable to make the return journey.

“That journey then has to be cancelled, impacting passengers.  Unfortunately, this is a frequent occurrence as traffic congestion increases,” they noticed.

Dublin Bus said that a shortage of drivers and mechanics are also an issue, similar to the much-maligned NTA services, with Dublin Bus saying they are looking to recruit around 100 bus drivers from South Africa in a bid to help with shortages.

The NTA said “we have raised the issues being experienced on Route 70 with Dublin Bus and will continue to work with them to identify any adjustments that may be required to the route timetable to address the impacts of such traffic congestion on route reliability. Any such changes will be introduced subject to the availability of resources, including buses and drivers, as well as funding.”

Donnelly remarked that “choosing to cancel journeys due to delays, which leaves commuters standing at bus stops for considerable periods of time is unacceptable.”

“We are constantly asking people to reduce their car journeys in favour of public transport to help reduce carbon emissions. Our planning guidelines allow for reduced parking in new developments, yet our public transport system is still not fit for purpose.”

Donnelly said, “residents in Dublin 15 have been crying out for public transport to Dublin Airport; this issue is raised often at council meetings and through direct contact with the NTA, yet the implementation of this bus route has been delayed time and time again.”

“The NTA must up their game. Residents deserve better, and so does our planet,” she said.