The bad news for those incensed by the QBCs, is that the plan places heavy emphasis on extending their number between 2000 and 2003. Significantly, the plan assumes that the present plan for 11 orbital and one radial QBC routes has been completed by next year, before the mentioned extensions begin.
The plan also assumes that by next year 150 new buses will be operating on the QBCs, carrying an additional 9,450 people in total each morning peak hour; a number of radial bus routes have been "twinned" to offer cross-city services, changing the existing "Dublin outwards" nature of the service and carrying an additional 2,000 people each peak hour than currently carried; sub-contractors are operating 60 school bus services allowing the 60 buses released to carry 4,200 more people in the morning peak; an additional 4,000 people are using the cycle network and an additional 11,300 people are using suburban rail and DART.
But that's just the starting point. The 2000 to 2006 plan envisages the spending of £68 million on new buses in the Dublin Metropolitan area and its hinterland - towns such as Navan, Kells, Kildare, Wicklow and Arklow. A major review of the bus network, for which provision of £100,000 has been made, will decide which routes and links will benefit most from the new buses.
The initial 11 QBCs - Malahide, Lucan, Stillorgan, Blanchardstown, Finglas, Rathfarnham, Clondalkin north, Clondalkin south, Tallaght and Swords, Dun Laoghaire - and one orbital route, will have been completed and extensions will be planned on each.
New QBCs include Clontarf Road leading into the QBC at Fairview; Kimmage Road, leading into Harold's Cross and the Rathfarnham QBC; Dundrum Road; Howth Road, and Rock/Merrion Road. The physical implementation of the QBCs, the realignment of junctions, installation of new traffic priority systems road works, are expected to cost £36.6 million, to be borne by the local authorities.