The Mayor of the City and County of Limerick has welcomed news that measures are being put in place to address the delays and disruptions to bus services on the Limerick city network.
Cllr James Collins said: “I have held meetings with the Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council, the Chief Superintendent of the Limerick Garda Division and the Limerick Regional Manager with Bus Éireann about the issues surrounding the bus service in Limerick City.”
“I’m happy that the concerns that I brought to them from the people of Limerick are being heard and will be addressed in a meaningful way over the next few months, and in the longer term with the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy.”
“It is vitally important that people who use public transport can be assured of a reliable and comfortable service. There have been huge improvements in the quality of the buses in recent years, but this has not been reflected in the reliability of the service. Let’s hope that these changes in the short-term will alleviate some of the issues.”
Timetabling changes are to be made to city centre bus routes especially the 304 and 304A cross city routes to improve reliability and reflect real-time scheduling and these will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Bus Éireann are also reviewing the routes that are currently in operation in the greater city network with a view to changes in the coming months.
A joint initiative between Limerick City and County Council and An Garda Síochána will consider towing away vehicles parked at bus stops, and there will be a refocus on the enforcement of the Regulations in respect of bus lanes and bus stops.
“These are practical steps that can be taken to help alleviate the situation in the short term. I hope there will be innovation and creativity on behalf of Limerick City and County Council, Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority when it comes to designing a new public transport system for the greater Limerick area.”
“Limerick as a region is growing and we need to take account of the future growth areas and plan our public transport services accordingly. Limerick is a city that wants the best, it deserves the best and needs a world class public transport system,” the Mayor added.