Merging of 80 bus service with the 130 is expected to solve issues

The merging of the 80 bus service with the 130, expected to solve issues residents from Chapelizod and Palmerstown have encountered, is now not set to happen until 2027.

The National Transport Authority said in a recent statement that the merging of the two services will not be executed until next year.

The move was previously expected to happen in Q2 2026 after a brief period of temporary realignment for the 80 route from Liffey Valley to Palmerstown Park.

The 80 and 130 merger would see the bus operate along the north and south quays between Liffey Valley and Clontarf, providing a continuous link between Heuston Station, O’Connell Bridge and the Custom House for commuters.

Councillor Madeleine Johansson expressed her disappointment with the delay and labelled the whole situation with the 80 “unacceptable.”

Cllr Johansson said: “I just don’t think it’s acceptable that this is happening and now that that merger has been delayed even further.”

“I don’t think the communities are going to accept that either.”

The temporary realignment of the 80 is set to come into effect on Sunday, February 8 and will see the service divert after Bridge Street and continue along the Quays and service central areas of the city.

The bus will move down O’Connell Bridge, College Green and Dame Street then onto South Great Georges Street as part of the short-term realignment to resume its current alignment to Palmerston Park.

The brief change will be removed before the planned closure of Dame Street between College Green and South Great George’s Street for Dublin City Council’s College Green Pedestrian Plaza scheme.

The 80 service was introduced in October as part of BusConnects Phase Seven but was immediately criticised by Palmerstown and Chapelizod residents, who called for the return of the 26 from Liffey Valley to Merrion Square.

The initial change meant that some stops on the 26 route now needed two buses to reach and led to several protests from unsatisfied commuters.

Cllr Johansson said that she expects more protests as a result of the merger being delayed and noted that commuters are unsure if the merger will solve their problems with the new service.

“I saw Thursday, three 80 buses were cancelled in a row in the evening, around the kind of rush hour time. Three of them from town going out towards Liffey Valley.

“So, people just can’t get to work, can’t get to school. They can’t rely on the bus service anymore.”

She added that she felt the 26 service was working “very, very well” before it was phased out.

NTA Director of Public Transport Services Jeremy Ryan said: “These amendments are a direct response to customer and community feedback and are aimed at improving reliability, resilience and connectivity across the network.

“We will continue to monitor the performance of these routes closely and make further adjustments where necessary to ensure passengers experience a more dependable service.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.