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A PROPOSED CHANGE to a northside Dublin Bus route has left a number of locals less than impressed.
The 27b bus route, which runs from Harristown Garage to Eden Quay in Dublin city centre, is set to lose a two-mile stretch of itself from Sunday 10 July.
The expected change will see the route begin and terminate from the Oscar Traynor Road, as opposed to Harristown Garage.
In effect, the move will cut off Santry village from nearby Beaumont Hospital, necessitating the use of the 17a service from Blanchardstown.
Local People Before Profit councillor John Lyons says he is “at a loss” as to why the change is being made.
“I use the route quite often myself,” he told TheJournal.ie.
It’s a vital link between the Malahide Road and Santry.
Lyons says that “no one appears to have a clear explanation” for why the decision has been made.
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“Around 120 people use that stretch of route. Children use it to get to school on the Malahide Road. People from Swords use it to get to Beaumont,” he says.
The drivers I’ve spoken to say it makes little difference anyway, because one way or the other the bus has to end up in Harristown Depot anyway.
It has been suggested that the thinking behind the new schedule is to enable a quicker turnaround for buses, with more journeys being completed for each driver roster.
Lyons and other councillors have requested an urgent meeting with Dublin Bus management concerning the route.
“I’ve written to Ray Coyne (Dublin Bus CEO) and Fran Pitts (area manager at Harristown) regarding this, and we’ve had a motion passed at central committee,” he says.
I think it’s important that the local authority has a say in local transport issues.
“From Sunday 10 July Dublin Bus will introduce an enhanced Route 27b service with an extension to Heuston Rail Station and a revised timetable. The service will now operate every 15 minutes Monday to Friday at peak times from Heuston Rail Station and will terminate on Oscar Traynor Road, Coolock,” Dublin Bus told TheJournal.ie in a statement.
This service will deliver a more direct, high frequency and reliable bus service with improved cross-city connections. It will significantly enhance the connections to Heuston Rail Station from the north and south quays, Bus Áras, Connolly Station, Fairview at the Malahide Road, and Beaumont Hospital. It will also have more consistent frequencies throughout the day. There will also be improved frequencies throughout the weekend.
Route 27b will terminate on Oscar Traynor Road and will no longer operate to Harristown Depot.
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Its all very well giving out when drivers are looking for higher pay and when routes are being changed, but often times these changes are to make the route more efficient, thus saving money, and hopefully keeping fares down. This happened on the 46a about 6 years ago. It used to go through Monkstown Farm and Stillorgan village on its route from Dun Laoghaire to town which used to add at least 20 and at worst 35 mins to the journey due to small roads, high traffic areas. Since they moved it to Kill Lane it has been much more predictable and faster. There was uproar at the time, but people adapted as they do and life went on. You can’t have it both ways. In a way its good to see them trying new things. As much as public transport can be the worst in Ireland, they certainly can’t please everyone.
There’s still a militant faction fighting for the 46a to be reinstated, we haven’t gone away you know!
when one person operated bus service began passengers were told it would keep costs down..Bus fares have gone up to where it would be cheaper to get 4 people to share a taxi .With the price of diesel dropping there was no reduction in bus fares WHY.these rout Street es are for the benifit of the general public not for Dublin bus to change as they see fit They changed the 27a and the nearest drop of point for the city centre is Aimien Street Talbot junction this means if you work in O Connell Street OR Henery Street you have a long walk and in this country with rain ever y other day you are soaked before you start work at all It is time that Dublin bus gave better consideration to its paying passengers and give them a fair crack of the whip for a change
This Dublin sure joe Duffy will sort it out by doing full programme on it with taxpayer money
This is the reason why we shouldn’t be banning cars from Dublin city. Unlike most other countries, Ireland’s public transport gets worse with time.
Then to get to Santry you’ll need to get 2 buses; a bus to get the 17 and then the 17a if you are coming from the vicinity of the 27b. Plenty of pensioners use the 27b from in and around the 2 miles that will be lost.
A lot of people seem to want it both ways, complain about Dublin bus not being profit orientated enough and then complain when routes that regularly have buses with no one on them are changed
Do not blame the drivers as it is them who bring in the moneyWhat is wrong in Dublin bus is it is top heavy too many chiefs and nothing to show for it.Yoy dont see these higher ups getting up at 4 AM TO START WORK. Years ago the old cie ran buses into town in order to get passengers you travelled free into town and paid full fare back this was done on off peak times you could hardly get a seat then With start by fares going trough the roof and a reduction in diesel prices but no reduction in fares so Dublin Bus start by giving the passengers a better deal
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