Government Accused Of Not Delivering Public Transport Projects For Wicklow

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has raised a range of ongoing Wicklow Public Transport issues in the Dáil and told Ministers that their public transport policy and delivery was failing people across the county

Some of the issues raised by Ms Whitmore included

• The ongoing capacity and reliability problems with the 133 bus service in Newtownmountkennedy.
• The 132 Bus Eireann bus service through Blessington which, due to an NTA contractual issue, is unable to pick up passengers in the town on onward journeys towards Dublin or drop passengers off in Blessington when travelling outward from Dublin.
• There’s no longer a direct link to St Vincent’s Hospital for Bray residents.
• Buses departing from Greystones train station mere minutes before the DART arrives, leaving passengers stranded or waiting for the next bus.
• The daily capacity issues being faced by commuters in Kilcoole and Wicklow Town travelling on the Wexford to Dublin rail line as there are often only 3 carriages provided on the service.
• There is no direct bus link from Wicklow Town to the Greystones DART station.

In response to the concerns raised by Ms Whitmore, Minister for State James Browne noted that the NTA have a number of transport proposals and infrastructural models which they are exploring as part of their Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022 – 2042.

These include the proposed DART plus project and extension to Wicklow Town, the extension of the Luas to Bray and the rollout of Bus Connects.