I started out with the intention of visiting Chapelizod today and got the the G2 bus instead of the 26. I knew that the 26 served Chapelizod on it way to Liffey Valley but I missed the 26 by about two minutes and the G2 which goes to Liffey Valley arrived a few minutes later so I boarded it. Much to my surprise it took a very long time to get to Liffey Valley and did not pass through Chapelizod. I was even more surprised to discover that there was a major transport hub at the shopping centre.
In February 2023 The National Transport Authority (NTA) today unveiled a new, €20m bus plaza facility at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre as part of the BusConnects programme being rolled out across the city.
The new bus plaza, 100 feet from the front entrance of the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, provides a new hub for bus services connecting south and west Dublin, north Kildare and the city centre.
The opening of the new bus plaza will support a 75% increase in bus services. The revised network will see the number of buses increase from 12 buses per hour per direction to 21.
Bus services to the city centre are also expected to increase by 50%. Six bus routes will terminate at the new hub. This includes the “G-Spine” route G2, orbital routes S4, W2, radials 80, and local routes L51 and 53. Located near the N4 footbridge, the bus plaza will also enable easy access to all “C-Spine” routes as well as to orbital route W5 and local route 52.
Bus Éireann is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). The company’s primary hub is Busáras, Central Bus Station, located in Store Street, Central Dublin.
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2022 it was noted that Bus Éireann had been the only bus company to continue operating long-distance routes in the country. Speaking to the BBC, the general secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) Dermot O’Leary noted that as the majority of the Irish population stayed at home, the market for commercial companies to make profits on their normal routes ceased overnight, and they subsequently paused operations. As a result, “essential workers [reliant on public transport] could not have gone into hospitals, doctor’s surgeries, pharmacies” were it not for Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann also provided the only bus connection between Athlone and the cities of Galway and Dublin for a period in 2020 when private companies such as Citylink temporarily suspended services.
The fleet consists of more than 1,200 buses and coaches. The company mainly uses buses built by firms such as Scania, VDL Berkhof and Volvo. Bus Éireann’s fleet have been substantially invested in as part of the National Development Plan. The vast majority of the operating fleet for expressway, commuter, and local services are now five years old or less.
There is no real time passenger information display making, the problem described, even worse.
When I lived in Carlingford Road this was my local bus stop and I hated it. Unless you have used it you may not appreciate what the problem is. The bus shelter is positioned in such a way that one cannot see an approaching bus until it has actually passed the stop.
On a wet day the stop is very badly exposed and even then it can be difficult to see an approaching bus to the extent that the bus drivers frequently just drive by without stopping.
Dublin Bus was established on 2 February 1987, when Córas Iompair Éireann was split into 3 subsidiaries, Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and Irish Rail. In September 2011, Dublin Bus received a significant technological upgrade with its introduction of real time passenger information.
I do like the new buses – I travelled by bus today and noticed at least four people wore masks in a manner that did not cover their noses.
A shopkeeper, local to me, told me that when he drew attention to the fact that a lady was wearing a mask with a large hole in it she said that she was aware of the hole but she needed it as she smoked.
BUS STOP AND SCHOOL ZONE WITH PENCIL SHAPED BOLLARDS – NEWGROVE AVENUE
Today when I asked Alexa I learned that rain was forecasted for the rest of the day so I left my camera at home but as usual I took my iPhone 12 Pro Max, which I only use as a camera, just in case. Anyway, after wandering around the city for about an hour I realised that the weather forecast must have been for another Dublin the sun was shining with great intensity. I picked a bus at random, it was the No. 1, and I arrived in Sandymount Village.
The School Zone Pencil Bollards are provided by Shergan Traffic Solutions based in Mullingar Co Westmeath. www.shergansolutions.com/about-us
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