Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 December 2021
4. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Transport if he will establish a forum for feedback or consultation for members of the public and stakeholders relating to BusConnects as the project is rolled out; and if he, his officials or both will engage with and-or consult the NTA in respect of same. [62112/21]
View answerThis question relates to requiring adequate feedback options. Two BusConnects spines have been rolled out to date and one of them is in my area. If we are going to anticipate the problems that are emerging, we have to pick up the feedback from people where this is being rolled out. I do not believe what is being done at the moment is enough. A Dublin Bus telephone number has been given but it is a general number, and there is then a BusConnects number that is permanently engaged. It is part of the public feedback but it is not adequate.
I am delighted to see the new BusConnects Dublin network being rolled out. I agree with the Deputy that it is important that people have an opportunity to give feedback and their thoughts on its roll-out. It is great to see improvements happening on the ground with this year’s launch of the H spine and the C spine. Next year will see further phases of the new network rolled out, while planning applications for the core bus corridors will also be lodged with An Bord Pleanála.
I am sure all of us who campaign for improved public transport welcome these developments. I would also like to acknowledge that consultation with the public and stakeholders has been an integral part of the BusConnects programme and has positively influenced its development so far. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the breadth and depth of public engagement on BusConnects Dublin is certainly unique in a transport context and quite possibly in any public policy context.
In terms of the new services that have been rolled out already, the National Transport Authority and the bus operators are keeping all aspects of the new network under scrutiny and are closely monitoring the new services following their introduction.
All households in the areas served by the H spine and C spine received information booklets as the services were introduced and those booklets provide information on how to provide feedback and comment, whether by telephone, email or online. If there are issues in regard to the phone lines being engaged, I will raise that with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, as well as any other barriers for people in trying to submit their comments. Those feedback channels are in addition to the three rounds of public consultation that informed the development of the new network and the 72,000 submissions received as part of those consultation processes. Therefore, while I agree with the Deputy that feedback is important, I think the channels already established would seem to be appropriate at this stage. If, as the Deputy said, they cannot get through for whatever reason on the telephone line, there is an email and online method as well. Nonetheless, if there are challenges around that, I will certainly raise that with the Minister, Deputy Ryan.
I am an advocate for public transport and improved services and I have been for as long as I have been involved in politics. There is no doubt some of the new services are working well. I can only look at the spine that I can see directly. There is no doubt some of it is working well but some of it is not working well at all. Some of the buses do not connect in terms of timetables. I can see double-decker feeder buses with practically nobody on them from 4:30 a.m. and every half an hour until 11:30 p.m. It looks like there are loads of services but, at the same time, for the past month or six weeks, my office has almost become a complaints department. To be honest, I am fed up with it at this stage. People are saying this is clearly not working and they are getting back in their cars where these services are not working and where services are not direct anymore. The chaos around some of the schools is very obvious. It is very frustrating.
The Minister of State referred to consultation. Thousands of submissions went in from my area but people do not feel they were listened to.
I will forward the Deputy’s comments to the Minister, Deputy Ryan. The information I have is there are channels and clear information for people to make their complaints and give their comments around existing services. I know the NTA is liaising closely with the transport operators in reviewing the introduction of these new services and it will take appropriate action, where necessary, to mitigate the impact of these services. I will certainly relay the Deputy’s comments back to the Minister, Deputy Ryan.
With regard to the core bus corridors, the NTA intends to re-engage with the community forums established during earlier consultation phases on the core bus corridors as the various schemes proceed to construction. The NTA is also establishing a transport users advisory group. The purpose of that group will be to provide advice and recommendations to the NTA from the perspective of both the transport users and those engaged in active travel. That advisory group will provide the NTA with the viewpoints that can feed into future policy and programmes as they are implemented.
All of those are very important initiatives. I welcome that there will be an ongoing look at this and possibilities for feedback. I also received the brochure the Minister of State talked about. I rang the numbers on many occasions, I have left feedback and I have left my mobile number. I asked for a phone call back to me last week and have not got it yet. If we do not pick up the complaints or the problems at this stage, how are we going to address them? I heard there were very few complaints about the first spine that was rolled out. I wonder is that because it rolled out very well or because there was inadequate feedback. It is very important that complaints are picked up.
People will not ring in if it is going well. They will ring in if something is not working for them and they need to be encouraged to do that or to provide feedback in whatever way they possibly can. It is all over the local Facebook pages but that is no use. People are complaining to each other and there has to be a better way of dealing with this.
On the advisory group which will be providing the NTA with the viewpoints to feed back into the policies and programmes, an independent facilitator will be appointed to run its meetings. Some 15 places will be available on that transport users advisory group and that will be made up of representation from various modes of public transport such as cyclists, pedestrians, people with disabilities, older persons, business tourism, students, small public service vehicles, and a Local Link expert. I will relay the Deputy’s concerns about being able to relay her feedback and getting through to the phone line to the Minister. The NTA establishing that transport users advisory group will be a key part of people being able to give their feedback as well.
