Community in north Dublin protest at plan to end direct bus route to city centre

A local community in Raheny, Dublin, have said they will protest against ending their direct bus route to the city centre.

Over 100 residents from Edenmore turned out to a public meeting held on Thursday night in opposition to the BusConnects plan announced last month.

Current bus numbers are to be replaced by a new lettering system from A to G, indicating seven main routes through the city, with buses running every four to eight minutes on these “core corridors”.

Radial bus routes would be supplemented by frequent orbital services, enabling passengers to switch from one bus to another at no extra charge.

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The plan acknowledges that some bus users who currently have a direct route into the city centre from where they live would have to change buses to reach their destination.

This includes the 27a, which serves the people of Edenmore, travelling from Blunden Drive into Talbot Street.

Under the new plans, residents would have to get a bus to the Artane Roundabout and then a separate bus into the city centre.

Anne Holden, who is a wheelchair user, travels into the city centre for work every day and is concerned there will be no room for wheelchairs on the high frequency routes.

“Although the weather has been lovely, you’re also coming into the winter and people are going to have to get two buses and be left standing in the rain,” she said.

Petition

Maureen Murphy (65) said her husband is also a wheelchair user and the new bus system would likely limit the couple travelling.

“He hasn’t driven in three years so we’re reliant on the bus. He won’t come out now with this. Where will we go on Sundays now? We’ve nowhere to go except for St Anne’s Park. It’s very sad to end my days like that.”

Theresa Kelly from Edenmore Residents Association said a local petition already has 700 signatures.

“It’s an older community that would use the bus an awful lot in and out of town. They have to get a bus, walk, then get on another one. It’s just not viable,” she said.

“It’s a brilliant community and they’re going to be torn asunder by this, we can’t let it happen. If we stick together as community though, we’ll beat this.”

Paul McDonald, a bus driver from Finglas told the meeting "what we need is more buses, not this plan".

“There will be no room on the [high frequency] buses, every bus stop will be full and we will still be leaving people behind.”

Solidarity councillor Michael O'Brien, who organised the public meeting, said there are already capacity issues on buses travelling into the city centre and that buses would likely be full by the time they arrives on the Malahide Road to collect residents from Edenmore.

“I know there’s similar discontent in other parts of the city. This has people up in arms, there would be a high age profile in particular in Edenmore.”

Similar public meetings have been held in Malahide and Crumlin in recent days.