123 bus service restructuring
Deputy Ó Muirí said the restructured 123, now route 73, was moved and outsourced without consultation and was failing local residents. The Tánaiste said repeated complaints warranted respectful consideration by State agencies and undertook to examine the detailed concerns.
I want to raise again on the floor of the Dáil the issue of the much-loved 123 bus service, now the 73, that runs from the city centre to Marino. It was restructured by the NTA under BusConnects without consultation. It was moved away from O’Connell Street without consultation and given to Go-Ahead to operate without consultation. From the growing number of complaints I have heard from local residents, it is not working. At the best of times, it is difficult for punters to raise an issue with the NTA but the NTA needs to read our collective lips. This service is not working.
At a time when we talk about increased congestion and the importance of bus services to deal with congestion and move people out of cars, we have a service that is clearly struggling and under pressure. I ask that the Tánaiste help public representatives and the community to get the NTA officials around the table for dialogue so we can try to resolve some of these issues.
Comment on this
I will, indeed. I thank Deputy Ó Muirí very much for raising the issue. Since he raised it with me on a number of occasions, I have a detailed note here. I am a great believer in what he said, namely that if enough people are raising an issue with him and other public representatives in Dublin Bay North, then there is an issue, and that issue needs to be considered with humility and respect, and in a constructive manner, by State agencies. If changes have been made, there is no point in people who do not get a particular bus writing notes to everyone to say that bus is going grand. Therefore, I will certainly speak directly to the Minister for Transport and ask for real and meaningful engagement with public representatives on this. The NTA tells me there was public consultation in advance of the changes. It also tells me it will review feedback it is receiving on local connectivity. I detect the scepticism and frustration the Deputy is articulating on behalf of his constituents and therefore I will ask the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, to discuss this matter with him directly and determine whether we can have meaningful engagement with the NTA.