Action needs to be taken on abuse of bus gates
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE ISSUE of motorists using bus gates – stretches of road where only buses are permitted – in Tallaght was highlighted at last week’s monthly meeting of the Tallaght Area Committee, reports Aideen O’Flaherty.
Several bus drivers have previously raised the issue at the Dublin Bus/Luas Community Forum, with the bus gates at St Maelruain’s Cemetery in Tallaght Village, and at Belgard Square West, leading from The Square to Springfield, being locations that unpermitted motorists frequently use.
Fianna Fáil councillor for Tallaght Central, Charlie O’Connor, raised the issue at last week’s meeting of the Tallaght Area Committee, as he had been asked to bring the issue to the council’s attention when he was at a previous meeting of the Dublin Bus/Luas Community Forum.
Cllr O’Connor told The Echo: “Recently, there have been complaints from bus drivers on a number of occasions about the abuse of bus gates – one that goes past St Maelruain’s cemetery, and the second one from The Square going towards Springfield.
“What they are asking me to do is to bring attention to the fact that these bus gates are exclusively for buses to use, and I was also asked to bring the issue to the attention of council management.
“I want action to be taken, and I was asked by the council to probe ways they can help the situation.”
Cllr O’Connor added: “If someone in a car drives up by St Maelruain’s and they want to continue, they have to break the lights to do it because they’re not permitted to be there.
“We need to impede motorists using the bus gates.”
A motion was tabled by Cllr O’Connor at last week’s monthly Tallaght Area Committee Meeting, where he asked South Dublin County Council’s chief executive to “confirm what actions are open to the council, in co-operation with the gardai, to deal effectively with what is seen as the abuse of the bus gates at St Maelruain’s cemetery and at The Square leading to the Old Blessington Road.”
In response, the local authority stated that the council’s traffic section will take the matter up with the local gardai present at the next Tallaght Traffic Management Meeting.
