asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that many bus stops in Dublin suburbs have recently been transferred to different locations and others have been removed altogether on the authority of the Garda Síochána, with resultant inconvenience to bus passengers; whether requests were made to the Garda to move such stops; if so, by whom; and if in future the wishes of bus users will be taken into account before alterations are made in the locations of bus stops.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Siting of Dublin Bus Stops.
31.
A systematic survey of all bus routes in the Dublin area is now being undertaken by CIE and the Garda with a view to improving the traffic flow. The hoped-for improvement would, of course, benefit bus passengers as well as other road users.
While the Commissioner, Garda Síochána, has statutory powers to give directions as to the location of individual bus stops, those powers could not properly be exercised to overrule the wishes of CIE unless it became necessary to do so in order to ensure that a particular bus stop did not create a serious avoidable traffic hazard or obstruction to traffic. In all other cases, the decision as to where bus stops should be sited is a matter for CIE.
Is the Minister aware that CIE is issuing letters by the dozen inferring that the entire blame for the transfer or removal of bus stops in Dublin lies on the Garda Síochána? If I give a copy of this letter to the Minister will he convey it to the Commissioner with a view to ensuring that CIE take the maximum blame which they deserve for imposing unnecessary inconvenience on bus passengers and conferring no benefit whatever on the general public?
I should be glad to hear from the Deputy but both organisations are involved, CIE and the Garda Síochana. While primarily it is a matter of the convenience of bus travellers the question of having adequate traffic flow is also important and it is a question of arriving at a balance between the two.
The principal cause of traffic delay is the non-enforcement of the existing no-parking regulations. This new move is designed to create new areas of no-parking but these will be completely valueless unless the no-parking zones are kept free. At present a small minority are inconveniencing the vast majority.
I shall have the matter examined.