There’s nothing boring about buses

Sir — Dr Eoin O’Malley (Sunday Independent, July 8) made suggestions with regard to the Dublin bus system, with particular reference to the BusConnects plan.

As far as I can perceive, the greater Dublin bus system is based still on those routes established over a century ago by the Dublin United Tramways, and much of Dublin is unaddressed by BusConnects.

It isn’t a secret that Ballsand bridge is a very active part of the inner city. It is home to the RDS where many events take place annually, such as the world-famous Dublin Horse Show. Also, the area is home to many five-star hotels and a number of embassies. But if I arrive at either Connolly or Heuston railway stations, can I board a bus directly to Ballsbridge? No...

There’s nothing ‘boring’ about buses. They are the most efficient vehicle for city transits; the roadspace ratio of a double-decker bus versus a private car is hugely in favour of the bus. Not so the articulated bus with which Dublin had a failed flirtation.

Surveys undertaken in London show that bus passengers do not like changing from one route to another.

What needs to change is a comprehensive look at the Dublin bus system. Why is there no city-centre shuttle service (eg, Grafton Street, Connelly Street, Henry Street) operated by either all-electric or hybrid single-deckers, with a flat fare? Yes, I know many of the above-mentioned thoroughfares are pedestrianised, but in both the UK and mainland Europe, shuttle-bus services operate in such restricted areas, without accidents.

As I see it, the main problem facing bus operation in Dublin (and for that matter all of our major cities) is the private car.

It isn’t scheduling that delays buses, but traffic congestion. And in today’s major cities, what is the cause of traffic congestion? The private car.

Just look south from Heuston along the quays. Each side of the river is a huge parking lot, and then add in all of the squares, etc, etc.

Unless we tackle the problem of the private car and unrestricted delivery times of commercial vehicles, plus the relocating of the present markets, the Dublin bus system doesn’t stand a chance.

It ain’t rocket science. Ding, ding...? Michael Dryhurst, Roscommon