Dublin South Central TD Jen Cummins has expressed “deep concern” about local bus services.
Last week, the Social Democrats TD hosted a public meeting with almost 200 local residents in Donore Harriers, Chapelizod, with residents voicing frustration with the recent BusConnect changes in the area.
So many residents arrived at the meeting that the TD had to split the meeting into two rooms and do two different sessions, an indication of how frustrated the local community are with BusConnects.
“BusConnects was intended to improve public transport access but has instead made life significantly harder for many in Chapelizod,” she said.
Residents described how people with disabilities are now unable to travel into the city centre due to infrequent services and the need to make multiple changes, and mothers with young children spoke of being left standing in the rain as ghost buses failed to arrive, often with no shelter or reliable alternatives.
Many commuters reported that journeys which once took a single bus now require up to three changes, adding substantial time and stress to their daily routines. Parents described how their children are getting detention in school for being late due to buses running behind or not showing.
Cummins said that the collection of stories, from all walks of life, are reflective of how poorly thought-out the changes were.
“These stories reflect how disabled people, parents, workers, and older residents and entire sections of the community rely on dependable transport to live their lives.”
The meeting heard of people waiting on the quays for buses that never came, leading to a sense of not feeling safe due to anti-social behaviour.
Cummins said that she would take these stories directly to both the NTA and Dublin Bus, saying that there is an “urgent” need to resolve the issue.
“I hope a swift and workable resolution can be found,” she said.
The BusConnects rollout, while touted as providing more frequent services to and from the city centre has seen major teething problems since it was rolled out.
Councillors and TDs have heard that a shortage of both drivers and mechanics has plagued both TFI-run Dublin Bus services, along with NTA-run BusConnect services.