Open Letter to Anne Shaw, new CEO of the National Transport Authority, Billy Hann, CEO of Dublin Bus and Dervla McKay Managing Director of Go Ahead Ireland
Dear Ms Shaw, Mr Hann, Ms McKay,
I represent Glencullen-Sandyford, the fastest growing Local Electoral Area (LEA) in the country for new housing 4,600 in past 10 years. I am writing to again express my concern that the NTA are not taking sufficient account of housing growth in this area. As I wrote in my submission to you on your 20 year strategy in 2021, the NTA need to be much more responsive to areas that are seeing large housing growth. As a regular local bus and Luas user, I can attest to the first hand challenges of using the NTA service in the fastest growing part of Ireland.
In Glencullen-Sandyford:
- 4,600 homes were built 2016-2025, highest of any LEA in the country
- 1,500 more homes currently under construction
- 2,000 homes with planning permission
- approx. 500 homes awaiting a planning decision
- 2,000 homes to be delivered by the LDA on public lands on 3 sites, in the long-term
- enough zoned land for thousands of further homes over the next 10 years.
- the government pressuring us to zone even more land rather than take tough decisions elsewhere.
Most of this recent and future housing growth has been concentrated in the Sandyford, Stepaside, Kilternan and Leopardstown areas. The 6th fastest local electoral area 2016-2024 has been Killiney-Shankill, our neighbours, with 3,533 new homes in that period, mostly concentrated in Cherrywood, Carrickmines and Brennanstown. More growth is planned along these Luas line suburbs.
Incremental improvements to Luas services over the past few years and increased working from home did ease pressure on public transport, but things are starting to reach breaking point now. If the NTA don’t improve the public transport as a matter of urgency, people in these new homes will not have confidence in using the system, and will drive by force of habit into the future.
I am asking for some dedicated intervention from your team on the following issues to address the very serious deficits in public transport in our area:
1) The basics: reliability and punctuality. The 47, 44 and 118 are 3 of the most complained about Dublin Bus services. The S8 and 114 are two of the worst on Go Ahead’s list. The L26, L27, 14 and 74 are slightly better but not by much. I am well aware that when there are driver shortages, the routes that run to the city centre are prioritised. As you would well know, the main way people in Glencullen-Sandyford get to the city centre is by Luas, but thousands rely on local bus services to get them to their nearest Luas stop. Please review this policy and do not abandon our local bus services when there are driver shortages.
2) Frequency of buses: Especially at peak times, there is a serious deficiency in bus services for commuters in Glencullen-Sandyford. Lack of frequency also reduces confidence as people feel it’s a risk to rely on a bus that comes every 30 mins because if it doesn’t show up, or is full then you’ll be 30 mins+ late for work. I could go through every bus, but the ones that most urgently need more frequency at peak times are the 44, 47, 114, L26, S8. The 44B needs to be running on weekends. How you can just leave people in Glencullen with a Monday-Friday bus is beyond me.
3) Routing changes: the first consultation for the bus connects plan was in 2018 and the plan finalised in 2020. Given our area has undergone so many changes, at a faster rate than other areas, and so much has changed since those plans (new schools and housing built, new road layouts), I’m asking you to review the bus routes in light of that. This is especially relevant for the Kilternan area, where there is no secondary school, so students rely on bus connections even more than other schools.
4) Physical infrastructure: the lack of bus shelters, seating at stops and real time displays is stark in Glencullen-Sandyford, especially when compared to other areas. We are living on the side of a mountain, for your information.
I have previously sent a list of bus shelter requests and some were said to be under consideration, but none have even gone through the planning process in recent times. The bus shelter for Kilgobbin Road was applied for but the NTA withdrew the planning application, which I find hard to understand. The 14 bus stop on Ballinteer Road got planning permission for a bus shelter two years ago. No sign of it happening. Please prioritise this.
5) Bus layovers: I have heard from DLR and landowners that the NTA have been disengaged from the plan to provide a bus layover facility off Glenamuck Road in Kilternan. This project should be a high priority given its importance in supporting higher frequency buses in Kilternan. Please make this a priority.
6) Luas capacity: The Luas is at capacity before the 2,000 homes under construction are even finished, and that’s not counting Cherrywood. Please start increasing the capacity of the Luas using the turnback facility near Charlemont. If the Minister for Transport won’t fund it because has other priorities, so be it. But I would encourage the NTA not to be the ones holding back the project.
Overall, the people in this area are losing patience with the public transport system and also the feeling that we are being ignored. I know it doesn’t help that our TDs are silent on our public transport issues, but I am please asking you to take your public duty seriously and address these issues. As always, I am available to meet with representatives of the NTA before things get worse and I will arrange for all local Glencullen-Sandyford councillors to be invited if you are open to engaging more collaboratively with us.
Kind regards,
Oisín O’Connor
Councillor for Glencullen-Sandyford
