Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2023
73. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Transport to provide an update and timeline on the roll-out of the proposed B and E spines as part of the BusConnects service improvements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44069/23]
View answerAs Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. There have been significant developments in relation to bus transport since this Government came into office, with last year's publication of a new Sustainable Mobility Policy and its five-year action plan providing strong policy support to the continued expansion and enhancement of bus services. I am also delighted to say that this strong policy support has been backed up by increased levels of Exchequer funding, which is supporting the roll-out of initiatives such as BusConnects.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the planning and development of public transport infrastructure, including BusConnects. To date, the NTA has commenced 5 phases of network redesign and submitted 12 planning applications to ABP across the 16 Core Bus Corridors.
Noting the NTA's responsibility in the matter, and your specific query in relation to the B and E Core Bus Corridors, I have referred the Deputy's questions in relation to the areas raised to the NTA for a direct reply. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days.
