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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