Radical shakeup planned for bus routes in Dublin

A review of Dublin Bus routes which will be presented to Transport Minister Martin Cullen next month is to recommend the most radical changes in the capital's bus network in more than half a century.

The review, currently at draft stage, recommends changes to the traditional radial routes from the suburbs into the city centre in favour of a number of bus "hubs" in the suburbs.

It also recommends removing some bus routes now covered by Luas and redeploying the buses to new suburbs which are without a traditional service.

However, in breaking from the radial routes which were modelled on the old, pre-1960 trams, the Dublin Bus network review acknowledges some difficulties.

These include the problem of where to store buses in the proposed suburban "hubs"; the need for additional staff at the hubs; and how local authorities might provide holding space on roads in town centres.

Dublin Bus also believes Luas feeder services, as advocated by the Dublin Transportation Authority, would remain under-used for most of the day outside rush hours.

Nevertheless, the review accepts the principle that services should be focused on the hubs or district centres of Dún Laoghaire, Dundrum, Tallaght, Blanchardstown and Swords.

New suburban services would ferry passengers into these hubs, many of which would allow interchange with rail transport.

Details of route changes are being kept secret by the bus company in advance of delivery of the review to Mr Cullen.

The plan aims to ensure that all commuters live within walking distance of a bus route which they can take to work or to a rail connection which would bring them into the city centre.

A limited number of services would still cross the Liffey for north-south passengers.

It is intended that the move could eliminate "park and ride" in favour of "walk and ride".

Mr Cullen, who is withholding approval - and money - for the expansion of the Dublin Bus fleet, was yesterday said to be "anxiously" awaiting the review.

However, Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said: "It is time to see some production, not promises". She called for an immediate opening of the bus market, with operators tendering for the public service subsidy.

She said the competitive tendering system had worked well in Britain where Transport For London had increased bus patronage by 54 per cent over 10 years, growing from 1.6 billion passenger journeys in 1994 to 1.782 billion in 2004. In the same period fares had actually fallen, and operating costs fell by a "staggering" 45 per cent.

However, a spokesman for Mr Cullen said Fine Gael had failed to highlight the fact that London had a congestion charge which had made the biggest impact on getting people out of cars and on to public transport.

He said that, once the review was received, the question became how much and where it needed to be spent.