The Malahide Experience

The prospect of 17 bus corridors similar to Malahide is greeted with absolute horror by critics of the Malahide QBC.

The prospect of 17 bus corridors similar to Malahide is greeted with absolute horror by critics of the Malahide QBC.

Even the Dublin Transportation Authority admits mistakes were made with the Malahide corridor, principally that it was opened before all the road works were finished.

But the criticism never died down. In addition to the absence of park and ride and integrated ticketing, residents and business people along the route are furious that the bus corridor is an all-day affair.

With the exception of a short area in Fairview where the QBC is suspended, traders along the route complain that they cannot receive deliveries. Similarly in Coolock, shoppers and traders alike are angry that access is blocked on a Saturday, for which they say there is no need.

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W. J. Murphy of Malahide is among the most vocal of the QBCs critics, pointing out that Malahide QBC is a misnomer as the corridor does not actually extend to Malahide. Like many of the critics, Mr Murphy says he is in favour of public transport, particularly QBC "as originally defined". He is determined the scheme should be altered. "If we make enough fuss maybe they would make the amendments that would give us a public transport service that will utilise the scarce resource that is road space, in an efficient way.

"I can go to a bus stop in Kent and there will be information telling me when the bus will arrive at the stop and it will arrive at that time."

He is scathing of the information on Dublin Bus displays which gives the times the bus arrives and departs from the terminus.

"If I miss a bus during the day I may have to wait up to 45 minutes for the next one, that's not quality" he commented. He is also critical of the difficulty drivers have in turning right at junctions and says that the road has been reduced to the service of a country lane. Mr Murphy says that the tragedy for users of the road is that "with intelligent use of the road space it would be possible to have a quality bus corridor".

However, as expected, bus times have improved dramatically. Buses are now travelling some 30 per cent faster than cars, with passenger numbers rising at a rate of 20 per cent per year, 18 per cent of these new passengers having switched from car to bus. The bus corridor uses 170 buses to transport 5,180 people into the city at the morning peak, from Clare Hall near Malahide to the Customs House.