Green TD Steven Matthews has heavily criticised both Dublin Bus and Go Ahead Ireland for consistent failures in their bus service provision for the 185 and 45A routes and consistently letting Wicklow commuters down. Following a series of complaints from constituents, Deputy Matthews requested a report from the NTA on punctuality and compliance with service targets for these routes. The report indicated consistent issues with buses arriving late or not arriving at all which far exceed the targets set by the NTA for these service providers. Discussing the report, Deputy Matthews said:
“The statistics highlighted by the NTA are extremely disappointing but won’t come as a shock to any frequent users of either the 185 or 45A routes. These services are frequently cited by Wicklow commuters as being highly unreliable and have consistently raised with me that their complaints have fallen on deaf ears at a management level. I know people that have been left stranded at bus stops and have had to rely on taxis or family members to collet them. This is an absolutely unacceptable level of service.
“The NTA has already issued significant fines on both Dublin Bus and Go Ahead, however, I have urgently requested that both companies appear before the Oireachtas Transport Committee to explain why they are failing the people of Wicklow.
“Public transport at its core needs to be frequent, reliable and affordable. The Green Party have delivered a huge cut in public transport fares to address affordability but in this instance, the bus companies have failed in their duty to provide reliable and frequent services.
“I am aware of the communications issued by the NTA in relation to the retention of drivers and extended absences related to Covid as being at fault for many of the failings on these routes but we are long past the point where that can be accepted as an excuse. What we need is an urgent and direct intervention by the NTA on these routes to get them back to hitting the targets they set out.
“If any Wicklow residents are aware of any other issues in relation to public transport services, I am more than happy to flag their concerns directly with the NTA, concluded Deputy Matthews.
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