100. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Transport his plans to end the 70 bus route resulting in people in the Littlepace area having to change buses to go to Dublin city centre; if BusConnects gives consideration to the impact on bus users with mobility issues when cutting direct routes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31156/26]
Sentiment score: -0.03
The 70 bus that connects Dunboyne and Littlepace to the city centre is going to be cut under the BusConnects plan even though it is the most direct route many people in Dublin 15 have. This is also going to hit people who are not very mobile. It is incredibly ablist to force people to get off a bus and to route everything through Ireland's busiest shopping centre in Blanchardstown. Nobody wanted this and the BusConnects planners have not listened.
Sentiment score: -0.07
Yes, but most buses only have a place for one wheelchair and one pram, so I do not accept the idea everybody is going to be able to transfer like that. Let us start with the reality. Who wants to have to get off a bus? Nobody. Once you are on a bus you want to stay on it. However, for some reason BusConnects planners and the NTA are fixated on the idea of routing everything through the Blanchardstown centre, which by the way, coincides with the potential introduction of car parking charges there. That fits in nicely and BusConnects is being cited as the reason to fleece the local community. There is currently a bus that runs from Dunboyne and Littlepace directly onto the N3 with a bus lane and for some reason the planners want to take it away. From 6 a.m. it is every 20 minutes and then from 7 a.m. it is every ten minutes until 8 p.m. when it becomes every 15 minutes. It is perfect. It is one of the buses that actually works. In 2018 when this was discussed there was a raft of complaints, public meetings and petitions. Why does government not listen?
Sentiment score: 0.06
Tell me about it.
Sentiment score: 0.00
Just answer the question.
Sentiment score: 0.00
It is about the 70 bus.
Sentiment score: 0.00
The reason I was rolling my eyes is I campaigned and marched to get that town centre built. I know how important it is and family members have worked there. My point is that does not mean everyone wants to sit in traffic in it.
Sentiment score: 0.07
Yes, but nobody wants to sit on a bus and be dragged through Blanchardstown centre. The Minister of State does not seem to know the area, with all due respect. People are often delayed there for 20 minutes. With the original BusConnects plan there were roughly 28,000 complaints. Some 914 of them originated from Blanchardstown and most of them were about the 70 bus route. One third of respondents said there would be a loss or reduction in the existing service. Roughly one third said they did not want to have to get off the bus to transfer into town and one third referenced the requirement for new infrastructure and a new interchange. I do not know how frequent the L64 the Minister of State mentioned is going to be and it is not clear how many P64 buses there will be either, but at the moment the service is perfectly adequate at peak times and people are losing this. Government needs to listen to what people are saying sometimes.
Sentiment score: 0.06