Nine in ten happy with bus and rail .... says the NTA!

NINE out of ten commuters are happy with our public transport system, according to a study by the National Transport Authority.

And one in four believe the service has improved, the study found.

However, the study was conducted in October and November 2017, before Dublin city was hit by chaos caused by the new Luas Cross-City service.

Dublin Bus services, through College Green, are being delayed by up to seven minutes at peak times as buses, the Luas, cars and cyclists compete for space.

And a Dublin City Council report revealed that bus journey times through the city centre at rush hour have more than doubled since the new Luas line was launched, according to a Sunday Business Post report.

The ‘NTA Customer Satisfaction Research 2017’ survey by carried out by Kantar MillWardBrown found customers had very good satisfaction ratings, and Luas and Dublin Bus performed particularly well.

They were also happy with the public transport apps and websites, which had an overall satisfaction rating of 85%.

Since the introduction of new Luas services, congestion has delayed bus services, and even route changes have not sorted out the problem. Though 17 services were diverted from College Green, this has had only limited improvements.

A spokesman for Dublin City Council told the Irish Daily Mail that it has been known since the start of the Luas project that there was potential for problems with the longer trams. He said: ‘The signals have been designed, as much as possible, to ensure the tram can clear the bridge in one movement, or where that cannot be achieved, the waiting time is as short as possible before it can clear.’

The NTA said there are ongoing discussions with Dublin Bus and Dublin City Council since Christmas about traffic arrangements, but there are fears gridlock will worsen when more long trams come in later this year.

Speaking about the survey results, NTA chief Anne Graham said: ‘We will not be complacent about this. Public transport operates in busy cities, across country roads and connects people across the country, and provides challenges every day.

‘The needs and expectations of customers are central considerations for the ten thousand-plus people working in public transport right across Ireland,’ she said. Dublin Bus says it is working with the NTA and Dublin City Council on solutions to alleviate the delays.

Poll held before Luas delays