Madam, – We wish to take issue with some of the comments made by a Dublin Bus spokeswoman (“Dublin Bus plans further route changes”, Home News, June 15th). The concept of “public consultation” that Dublin Bus champions is at odds with the vast majority of public consultation processes that we, either as public representatives, or as members of local campaigns, have encountered in other spheres of our daily activity.
Many of us have experienced difficulties in dealing with Dublin Bus, where we raise valid issues/concerns which are then not considered adequately, as Dublin Bus presses ahead regardless to implement Network Direct.
In the article, the spokeswoman specifically indicates the case of the 19 Bus, saying that the “19 Bus is not being scrapped and that the area, route and bus stops that it currently serves will continue to be served – albeit by different bus route numbers” . . . indicating in particular the No 68 Bus from Newcastle. What the Dublin Bus spokeswoman fails to say mirrors the type of limited information which has been provided to many of us in relation to different bus routes around the city.
The current frequency of the 19 Bus which serves the route is every 20 minutes. The frequency of the 68 Bus, which Dublin Bus highlight as a part of a realignment that will provide a “more direct, regular, frequent and reliable services with a network that is simpler and easier to understand” will be at hourly intervals. How can a bus that comes three times less frequently per hour from Newcastle be more “direct, regular, frequent and reliable” for the current users of the 19 Bus?
To address the issues raised in relation to the historic No 19 route, a letter supported by the 13 TDs and 24 local councillors, together with copies of 7,500 petitions for Save the 19 Bus Campaign, was sent to the CEO of the National Transport Authority (NTA) on June 8th, asking for rejection of the recommendation of Dublin Bus to cut the 19 Bus.
The signatories of this letter are the public representatives of commuters on both the southside and northside of Dublin, who as things stand, will have a less frequent and a more disrupted service, if this Dublin Bus proposal is approved. Is this what we pay our bus fares and taxes for? – Yours, etc,