Yesterday, the National Transport Authority published details of the finalised plan for the BusConnects New Dublin Area Bus Network. This plan relates solely to bus services only and not the Core Bus Corridors projects (bus lanes and cycle lanes/tracks). The next round of public consultation, I understand, for the Core Bus Corridors projects will be held later this year.
This is a plan that has been subject to three rounds of public consultation and more than 70,000 submissions from the public. Most of the concerns identified during the various periods of public consultation have been addressed in the process of finalising the revised network which will be implemented in phases. The NTA has commenced engagement with operators in identifying and addressing all the factors required to implement the revised network.
So, what happens next? The new network will be implemented on a phased basis over several years commencing in 2021. It will take place over 11 phases. A comprehensive customer experience programme will be rolled out alongside the implementation of the new network to ensure that the public will be fully informed of all changes to bus services and when they will occur. This process will be supported by proactive engagement with bus users, localised advertising campaigns, public information campaigns and engagement with relevant stakeholders and disability groups.
If you would like more information about how the new bus routes will affect you and your community, details are available online at https://bit.ly/3mQKUfR. Due to the ongoing restrictions arising from Covid-19, hard copies of the documents are in limited supply and will only be provided in exceptional circumstances upon request. All documents are also available in HTML, PDF and Audio versions on www.busconnects.ie.
If you have any questions or queries about the finalised new bus service plan for Dublin, get in touch with me at Paschal.Donohoe@oir.ie. Equally, if you would like me to send you a copy of how the planned changes will impact your area, contact my Constituency Office at 01 618 3689.