Latest news with #NationalTransportAuthority
Irish Independent
15 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Navan Town Bus network expands with new stops in Meath
The National Transport Authority (NTA) and Bus Éireann have announced a significant expansion of the Navan Town Bus Service, with new stops on routes NV1 and NV2. The changes will take effect from Saturday, July 27, and aim to improve public transport access across the town, especially in growing residential areas. Route NV1 (formerly N1) will be extended eastwards to include new stops at Carne Wood, Johnstown Village, and Dunville. As part of this realignment, the Kilcarn Bridge stop will no longer be served by this route. Route NV2 (formerly N2) will now reach new stops in Navan's northeast, serving Belcourt, Blackcastle Demesne, and Blackcastle Estate. The frequency of both NV1 and NV2 routes will remain unchanged, operating every 30 minutes from Monday to Saturday, and hourly on Sundays between 08:30 and 22:30. All buses on these routes are now fully accessible with low-floor access, ensuring a more inclusive service for passengers with mobility needs, parents with buggies, and older adults. John Nott, Head of Public Transport Service Planning at the NTA, said the upgrade directly addresses the town's growth and rising transport needs. "As Navan and Johnstown develop, it is essential that public transport keeps pace. These service improvements represent a significant milestone in delivering a more connected, reliable, and accessible transport network for local communities,' he said. Adrian O'Loughlin, Senior Regional Manager, East at Bus Éireann, noted the continued popularity of Navan's bus services. He said: 'These improvements will positively impact passengers travelling for work, leisure, health and education. Demand for our services in Navan is high and we have seen considerable growth in recent years, delivering over 111.6 million passenger journeys last year.' Meanwhile local councillor also welcomed the news. Independent councillor, Alan Lawes, said: 'The bus service expansion is very welcome as Dunville is a very busy estate and in Old Johnstown, there are new houses being added there as well.' 'This is good as we are trying to encourage more people to use public transport so extra services are always welcome.' 'There will be a lot of students who would also benefit from the new services. It will be convenient for them,' he added. Councillor Emer Tóibín (Aontú) said: 'This is a much needed development for residents in the are who have been calling for better public transport links for years.' "It is a step in the right direction towards making Navan a more connected, accessible, and sustainable town.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Fingal County Council declares NTA planning application invalid
Fingal County Council has declared a planning application by the National Transport Authority for a 'strategic' park-and-ride facility near M1 as 'invalid'. The 733 space car park in Lissenhall, just north of Swords, was to encourage commuters to leave their vehicles and take buses into the city and forms part of the NTA's wide park-and-ride strategy for the Greater Dublin Area. The council rejected the application, invalidating it as the site notice, application form and newspaper notice descriptions did not match. The application was also deemed not to include details of a planned on-site wastewater treatment system. In the decision letter, Fingal County Council also said a series of proposed developments were judged to be drawn to an incorrect scale, had incorrect elevations or had photos which 'do not appear to be reflective of the drawing plans and elevations'. The developments the council took issue with include a proposed bus shelter, bike lockers, a bike shelter, toilets and an ESB substation. A spokesman for the NTA said the reasons for the rejection 'are all minor such as inconsistency in the wording of the site notice and newspaper advertisement and some issues with the scaling of drawings submitted'. The spokesman said the NTA is addressing the issues and will resubmit the application 'in a matter of days'. In the application, the NTA sought permission to build 733 car parking spaces, which would be made up of 522 standard spaces, 37 spaces for mobility-impaired users, 72 spaces designated for electric vehicles and an additional 72 space futureproofed for electric vehicles. Based on a 6.74 hectare site located at Lissenhall Little, just west of the junction 4 of the M1 motorway into Dublin, the facility would include 3 bus bays as well as passenger shelters in a bid to 'enhance accessibility and convenience for users'. To enable active travel, the development would include bike shelter and lockers. The proposed Lissenhall park-and-ride development was expected to serve as a short-term interim solution which would eventually be replaced by a considerably larger, 3,500 vehicle car park nearby to service the planned Dublin metro system once constructed. Revealing the plans in response to a parliamentary question in February, the NTA said the development is planned as an 'interim solution to reduce vehicles entering the city before the commencement of operation of the Metrolink'. It said the project would 'intercept car trips where people are reliant on private cars at an early viable point in their journeys thereby reducing the distances travelled by private car with a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions congestion.'
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Cork bus services will introduce 90-minute flat fare from August
The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed that flat fare and tag-on boarding will come to Cork bus services next month through a Freedom of Information request from Green Party spokesperson on transport, Feljin Jose. The change will allow commuters to change freely between buses in a 90-minute window once the initial fare is paid via a Leap card. It will be implemented on Cork city bus services in August, and later, in 2025, the fare will stretch to rail services between Kent, Little Island and Glounthane stations. From 2026, distance-based commuter bus fares will apply in a concentric commuter zone outside Cork extending to 30km from the city centre. Cork city bus services will provide a Leap card validator on each bus. The equipment will be separate from the driver's terminal and will allow commuters to board without the need to go to the driver. The new validators were intended to be available on buses from August. However, this has been delayed due to software and technical reasons. Green Party councillor for Cork City North East, Oliver Moran, said the changes will benefit commuters. "A flat 90-minute fare means people not being punished for changing services, even different kinds of services,' Cllr Moran said. 'Although it's been delayed, moving to a tag-on type system away from the driver means buses boarding faster. 'That's going to help with queuing times at busy stops like Patrick's Street, Kent Station, and Clontarf Street. It means in overall journey times a bus driver can travel faster too along a route.' The Green councillor believes public transport will provide the future of commuting in Cork. "In the next five to ten years, we need to draw more people onto public transport in preparation for high-frequency commuter rail, BusConnects, and eventually the Luas,' Cllr Moran said. 'Public transport has to be the go-to choice for commuting in the city in that time period.'
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Cork City buses to introduce 90-minute free transfer Leap fare from next month
A new 90-minute Leap card flat fare is being introduced on Cork's city bus network next month that will allow passengers free transfer between buses for multi-leg journeys. A new distance-based fare structure is also being introduced in a new commuter zone outside the city zone that will extend to some 30km from the city centre. However, plans to introduce a new 'tap-on tap-off' payment system on the bus fleet around the same time have been delayed due to technical and software issues, the Irish Examiner has learned. It follows the adoption of a new fares policy and two new fares zones for Cork by the board of the National Transport Authority (NTA). The fares will be introduced in three phases from next month, with the flat 90-minute Leap card fare introduced first, applying initially to Cork City bus services only. The second stage, scheduled for later this year, will see a flat 90-minute Leap card bus and rail fare, applying to city bus services and to rail services between Kent, Little Island and Glounthane stations. The fare will be set higher than the bus-only 90-minute fare in stage one, which will then be discontinued. And next year, stage three will see the introduction of distance-based commuter bus fares in the new Cork Commuter Zone, which is outside the city zone and extends 30km from the city centre to include the rest of the commuter train stations, including Midleton and Mallow, as well as commuter bus services operating in the area that extends to just south Fermoy, and takes in Bandon and Kinsale. However, plans to install a pole-mounted Leap card validator system on buses to allow passengers board and pay without having to go to the driver have been delayed over technical and software issues. The new fares structure, similar to the TFI 90-minute fare that operates in Dublin across the capital's bus and Luas network, is seen as a vital part of the BusConnects project. The fare changes will apply to the existing bus network before the Cork BusConnects network is introduced, from next April. Green Party Cllr Oliver Moran said they will have a real impact. 'They're the first stage of the overall BusConnects programme that people will actually experience. They'll make a real difference to passengers and services here and now, where people will really feel it,' he said. 'In the next five to 10 years, we need to draw more people onto public transport in preparation for high-frequency commuter rail, BusConnects and eventually the Luas. Public transport has to be the go-to choice for commuting in the city in that time period.' Despite the delay in the introduction of the tap-on, tap-off payment system, Mr Moran said once it's introduced, it will mean faster boarding. 'That's going to help with queuing times at busy stops like St Patrick's Street, Kent Station and Clontarf Street. It means in overall journey times, a bus driver can travel faster too along a route.' Read More Is more congestion in Cork City an inevitability?
Irish Independent
16-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Kildare councillor may have to spend her entire discretionary budget of €50,000 to build one pedestrian crossing
Cllr Evie Sammon says a combination of high building material costs and underfunding from central government means that Kildare County Council are struggling to deliver on 'bread and butter' projects A Kildare county councillor may have to spend her entire annual discretionary budget on a singular pedestrian crossing in Naas that could cost up to €50,000 or more to build. Naas Councillor Evie Sammon told the Irish Independent that due to a lack of government funding, Kildare County Council are struggling to deliver on 'bread and butter' projects across the county such as pedestrian crossings. As a result, basic maintenance works such as footpath maintenance works are not being done as it's too costly for the council. Cllr Sammon explained that a combination of the high cost of building materials and underfunding from government has created a situation in Kildare whereby councillors are having to use their annual discretionary budgets to cover basic maintenance works. "Having to deliver a pedestrian crossing through a councillor's nominated funding shouldn't really be happening,' said Cllr Sammon. 'The reason why I'm willing to use my entire discretionary budget on one project is out of desperation to deliver the infrastructure that we're lacking. "You would like to use the discretionary funding to deliver nice community things but I have been looking for this pedestrian crossing near Meadows & Byrne in Naas for the past six years and I have come to the end of my tether. 'For years I was told the pedestrian crossing would be part of the Dublin Road scheme which would be funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) and that there was no point in delivering the pedestrian crossing until that scheme came forward but that scheme seems to be years, if not a decade away. "But we can't wait that long, for public safety reasons we need that pedestrian crossing now.' When Cllr Sammon approached the council to enquire about using her own budget to cover the cost of the pedestrian crossing she was shocked when she was told her entire annual discretionary budget would only cover the cost of that one pedestrian crossing, in other words her entire discretionary budget for the year would be gone on one singular project. Although the project has not gone out for tender yet, the council informed Cllr Sammon that it could cost up to €50,000 or even more to construct one pedestrian crossing. 'When I was looking for the pedestrian crossing I was essentially told, 'well that's your full discretionary amount because it could cost €50,000'. "The cost of building materials is so high at the moment, but also you have to take into consideration the cost of implementing a stop and go system while the works are happening which is surprisingly very expensive in itself. Learn more "It's the combination of the high cost of building materials and labour. If the pedestrian crossing is beaconed then you also have the cost of underground electrics and bringing the electrics from wherever the nearest source is so it really adds up.' It's not just projects for pedestrian crossings that council funds are struggling to cover, but essential footpath works too. "We are getting quotes for footpaths at the moment of about €300,000 and these footpaths are not being delivered because of the high price. Concrete in particular is very expensive so where we have footpaths that need to be done, if we can't afford them, it's a case of they are either not being done or we look at using tarmac. "We're underfunded in Kildare,' added the Fine Gael councillor. 'Our area engineers are doing the best that they can with small budgets. We are the worst funded council in the country from central government and even to bring us to the next worst funded council which is Wicklow, we are looking at about €4m or €5m to bring us in line with them.'
