Dublin Bus to overhaul network

A radical overhaul of bus services in the capital is to take place in the coming months, Dublin Bus said today.

The planned network re-design, based on recommendations contained in a strategic review of the company, is expected to save the company €12 million and will result in about 150 redundancies as some 90 buses are taken off the road.

A spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said the redundancies would be voluntary.

The changes, which the company says will result in a more streamlined service with more direct, regular, frequent and reliable services, will be implemented over the next 12 months.

Most areas of Dublin will see timetable and route changes introduced on a phased basis.

The first phase of the plan will be implemented this July in Blanchardstown, Stillorgan and Lucan. Dublin Bus will publish details of changes affecting these areas next Monday.

Outlining the changes to Blanchardstown’s existing service, the spokeswoman said research showed there is “very strong demand” on the part of passengers for a service which would take them in to the city centre and on to south east quadrant of the city.

The 37, 38 and 39 routes will be amalgamated to service outlying areas of growth such as Ongar and will deliver passengers through the city centre, Ballsbridge, Leeson St and on to Belfield.

Under the plan, entitled ‘Network Direct’, routes will be “straightened out” to operate on the most direct paths from the suburbs to the city centre.

More use will be made of quality bus corridors and there will be an increase in the number of routes with an average waiting time between buses of five minutes.

Dublin Bus said some routes will be combined and promised that timetables will be more customer friendly.

The planned restructuring follows extensive research and analysis of current travel patterns. Data from the 2006 Census and its own research data were used to predict trends in customer requirements.

Minister of State for Sustainable Transport Ciaran Cuffe welcomed the plan. "The implementation of a network review is long overdue and Dublin Bus’ announcement today is a positive step in matching the bus network to the changing patterns of our city," the Green Party minister said.

“In particular, the increase in orbital routes around the city and radial routes across the city is something to be welcomed. These will allow more cross city journeys and more communities to be directly accessible by bus.

“These changes have been recommended by the Deloitte report last year which highlighted bus ‘bunching’ and network complexity as stumbling blocks to an improved service. The Network Direct redesign will iron out these difficulties and result in savings of €12 million which is good news for taxpayer,” Mr Cuffe said.

Fine Gael Transport Spokesman Fergus O’Dowd claimed the plan will not produce a better service and described it as a 'con job' to secure Dublin Bus monopoly.

“This plan is really about cutting the huge debt at Dublin Bus and compensating for lower State support", he said.

“We want more buses, more often on more routes. That’s the only way commuters can be enticed from their cars. That is why Fine Gael will allow the private sector to operate alongside CIE. Existing routes will be protected, and new routes opened up. It’s a win-win situation for passengers who want more services, on more routes, and at a fair price."

The Labour Party said the move by Dublin Bus could reduce services for the most vulnerable commuters.

Tommy Broughan, transport spokesman, said: "Bus commuters will be concerned at reported plans to merge a number of heavily patronised routes as well as the loss of so many buses from the fleet.

“Dublin Bus has stated that its aim in this overhaul is to increase the frequency of service with fewer buses. It is very hard to believe that commuters can look forward to a better service with the loss of up to 90 buses from the fleet.”

Mr Broughan said the suspicion was that Dublin Bus was being forced to slash buses, services and jobs by the Government trying to force further cutbacks.

The changes will coincide with the introduction of real time passenger information later this year.