Call for review of Dublin bus service
Recent fare increases have placed an extra financial strain
Immediate action is needed to ensure that Cavan residents commuting to Dublin have access to a dependable, efficient, and fair public transport system. That opinion formed the crux of a motion tabled at the July monthly meeting of Cavan County Council tabled by Fianna Fáil’s Áine Smith who called on the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Bus Éireann to urgently review and improve the current service connecting to the capital.
While the introduction of hourly services in recent years is welcome, Cllr Smith highlighted how several persisting issues are negatively affecting commuters, and require urgent attention.
The problems range from last-minute cancellations to poor seat availability. Many commuters, she said, also want some early morning services to operate as express routes from Cavan, stopping only in Virginia and Whitegate before continuing directly to Dublin.
Recent fare increases on the 109X route, Cllr Smith continued, have placed an extra financial strain on passengers. The sense of unfairness is exacerbated by unreliability and overcrowding, not to mention passengers paying cash fares being penalised with higher fares than those using LEAP cards.
“These fare hikes further undermine the value of the service provided to commuters and people paying in cash are charged more for their fares,” Cllr Smith told her fellow elected members. “I am calling on Bus Éireann and the NTA to provide a dedicated express bus service exclusively for Cavan passengers in the morning from Cavan and in the early evening directly from Busáras to County Cavan. Those services should be available at peak hours.”
She also wants the NTA and Bus Éireann to reevaluate and implement a “system for timely notification” to passengers regarding any cancellations, delays, or changes to the service, and conduct a full review of current capacity and usage patterns on the 109X and associated routes.
Lastly, she wants the recent fare increases to be reconsidered given the problems with service quality. Cllr Smith further believes that any future fare hikes must “be balanced against improvements in service reliability, seating availability, and passenger comfort”.
She added: “I believe that urgent action must be taken to ensure that the people of Cavan have access to a fair, reliable, and comfortable public transport system that supports their right to travel safely and efficiently to the capital.”
There was widespread approval for her proposals within the chamber. Independent Brendan Fay who has previously lambasted the progression towards a cashless society expressed dismay at how passengers are being “penalised” for tendering notes or coins on the buses.
Sinn Féin’s Damien Brady said the service issues disproportionately impact people attending hospital appointments; while Cathaoirleach John Paul Feeley described the motion as “timely”.