Bus commuters along the east coast will see significant service improvements early next year with new schedules and timetables to be introduced on the 101 and 133 routes.
Operation of the two routes was put out to tender by the National Transport Authority (NTA) last year, and the Authority has announced that the preferred bidder for the contract is Bus Éireann.
The 101 provides connectivity between Drogheda and central Dublin, serving Balbriggan, Dublin Airport, N1 Business Park and Busaras.
Under the new contract, the 101 will operate on a 24/7 basis, running every 30 minutes, Monday to Saturday, and every 20 minutes at peak. There will continue to be an hourly service Sundays. This represents an increase in services of 6.4% compared to the current timetable.
The existing 101X service will remain largely unchanged with the exception of some timetable tweaks.
The 133 currently runs between Wicklow town and Dublin, serving Bray, Kilmacanogue and Belfield.
Service levels will remain broadly similar to what they are now, but under the new contract, the 133 will by-pass Bray, reducing overall journey times by approximately 10 minutes.
The existing 133B between Wicklow and Bray runs very infrequently and will be a replaced by a new service, the 131 which will run every hour.
The existing Bus Eireann 133L is to be run with increased frequency as a TFI Local Link service, by Local Link Carlow Kilkenny Wicklow.
A plan to improve bus stop infrastructure along both the 101 and 133 corridors will be agreed by NTA and Bus Eireann as part of the contract.
NTA will provide Bus Eireann with 35 brand new vehicles made up of 19 single deck and 16 double deck regional commuter vehicles.
The 19 single deck buses (Volvo B8RLE chassis with Sunsundegui SB3LE bodywork) will be equipped as follows:
- Capacity for 49 seated passengers (no standees)
- Forward nearside service door equipped with manual wheelchair ramp, offside emergency door
- Permanent wheelchair space
- Internal luggage racking
- Individual high-backed passenger seats fitted with age-adjustable seatbelts
- Passenger Information System (Trapeze)
- Wi-Fi
- Air-conditioning
- USB power supply sockets at each seat
- CCTV camera system
The 16 double-deck buses (VDL Futura FDD2-141 integral) will be equipped as follows:
- Capacity for 75 seated passengers (no standees)
- Forward nearside service door and centre nearside service door equipped with manual wheelchair ramp
- Permanent wheelchair space
- Two internal staircases
- Limited internal luggage racking, with externally-accessible luggage compartment at rear
- Individual high-backed passenger seats fitted with age-adjustable seatbelts
- Passenger Information System
- Wi-Fi
- Air-conditioning
- USB power supply sockets at each seat
- CCTV camera system
The new services will become operational in early 2023.