Public urged to examine radical bus route changes
By Sean Heffernan
The Bus Connects Roadshow was inundated with queries from passers-by when it visited The Square last Friday.
The public event was to make people aware of the major changes to bus routes in the Dublin South-West area, prior to the proposed full rollout of the plan in 2020.
People making enquiries at the Roadshow in The Square last week
The current plan is at the consultation phase and the National Transport Authority is visiting various shopping centres around the city to get the views of bus users, before they put together the final changes to the bus network.
The proposal is to change the current system with six ‘spines’, lettered from A to E, that promise to bring about a 27 per cent increase in services.
The Roadshow will also visit Liffey Valley Shopping Centre this Saturday on August 17 and Ashleaf Shopping Centre on August 29.
Fianna Fáil councillor Charlie O’Connor, commenting after attending the public information session held in The Square, Tallaght, said that while changes are needed in the Dublin Bus services, any plan must feature input from those that use the service.
He said: “It is hugely important that the people of Tallaght and areas such as Firhouse and Citywest are given an opportunity to air their concerns about the proposed changes to bus routes.”
He added: “Thousands rely on a quality bus service to get to work, school, to the hospital or to go about their daily lives. I urge these to examine the plans and make submissions to the Bus Connects consultation by email to: consultations [at] nationaltransport [dot] ie.”
The changes proposed are as follows:
TALLAGHT – Route 240: This is an orbital route starting at The Square and going Killinarden – Firhouse Road-West – Seskin View Road – Castletymon Road – Airton Road and back to The Square.
The 54A, 77A, 65B and 49 routes are being axed. People living in Old Bawn, Aylesbury, Dominic’s and St Aengus Parishes, will have to take a 240 bus, and then connect with a D2 at The Square or Greenhills Road, or the A2 at The Square to get to the city centre.
Those living in Firhouse who today take a 49 or 65B to town will have to take an S6 or S7 bus that goes to UCD, and then connect with the 16 in Rathfarnham or get off near the Blue Haven pub and take a short walk across Templeogue Bridge and get the A2 or A1 bus into the City Centre.
Route 16 will go from The Square via Kiltipper – Oldcourt – Scholarstown – Rathfarnham to city centre.
Routes S6 and S7: These will go to UCD from The Square via Old Bawn Road; (The S6 will travel straight down the Firhouse Road, with the S7 travelling through Firhouse estate as the 49 route currently does) – Nutgrove – Dundrum – Goatstown – UCD.
Route S8: This is a new route to Dun Laoghaire. It will go from The Square – Marlay Park – Whites Cross – Sandyford – Stillorgan – Deansgrange – Monkstown – Dun Laoghaire.
The 75 route will be axed, with the S6 and S7 travelling parts of that route.
Route D2: will follow the current route of the 27 bus from Jobstown, but will terminate in town.
Route A2: This will go from The Square – Tallaght Village – Spawell – Templeogue and into city centre.
Route W8: This is a new route which will depart from The Square – Citywest – Saggart – Newcastle – Celbridge.
ROUTE W4: This route goes from The Square to Blanchardstown. It will travel The Square – Cheeverstown Road – Kingswood Road – Grange Castle – Lucan – Liffey Valley and onto Blanchardstown.
BLESSINGTON – Route 244: The 65 bus is to be axed. People living in Ballymore Eustace will have to take this new route to The Square to get a bus to the City Centre.
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