From Sunday 13th of December 2020, Dublin Bus is introducing significant improvements across seven bus routes in its network and a new 24 hour service for Route 39a (between Ongar and UCD Belfield). The new service improvements, which include an additional 824 departures per week, are as a result of a €4.9 million investment, provided by the National Transport Authority (NTA).
The funding was made available through the Government’s July stimulus plan and will lead to the creation of 80 additional jobs to the company’s existing 3,500 strong team. These enhancements are part of a continuing programme of improvements by Dublin Bus and the NTA, offering customers more choice and a more frequent and reliable bus service throughout the week and across the city on its 109 bus routes.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said: “I am delighted to welcome this expansion in Dublin Bus services, which is funded by the Government’s stimulus package. Dublin Bus has done a great job during the pandemic. As we look forward to a post-Covid future, it is important that we resource our public transport system for the recovery. These new services will give passengers more choices and more flexibility and will also see the creation of 80 new jobs.”
The additional services on Route 1, Route 9, Route 13, Route 14, Route 39, Route 39a, Route 40 and Route 83 include extra off-peak departures, better frequency, increased reliability and more cross-city terminus to terminus departures. Route 39a will now run 24 hours, 7 days a week with improved frequency of the bus by day and additional services at night – one every 30 minutes between 11.30pm and 5.00am. It is the third 24 hour bus service announced by Dublin Bus with others (Routes 41 and 15) introduced in December 2019. The 24 hour services facilitate increasing employment in the night-time economy as businesses expand their opening hours, create 24 hour airport links serving numerous residential areas and reduce night-time carbon emissions by encouraging people to take the bus as opposed to travelling by car.
NTA Chief Executive Officer Anne Graham said: “These enhancements including the 24-hour service on the 39 route, are an indication of the commitment on the part of NTA and Dublin Bus to providing a public transport service that reflects the changing city. The manner in which Dublin functions as a city has shifted and it is no longer the case that the city shuts down at 11 or 12 at night. We believe that enhancement like these, along with the revised bus network in Dublin, and the investment in our bus corridor infrastructure under BusConnects, will bring about the kind of improvements that people expect in a modern city.”
Dublin Bus is the largest public transport service provider in Ireland, carrying 142 million people last year. According to Ray Coyne, Chief Executive of Dublin Bus the new 24 hour service and additional service improvements build on the success of the company in recent years: “Dublin Bus is committed to continuously improving our network and providing a reliable, accessible and efficient service for everyone. These improvements continue to show buses are the best transport choice for the city. 24 hour bus services enable customers to make the most of the city at night, quickly and safely, and provide a much needed service for early morning workers. Our public transport service must reflect the changing needs of customers and these changes will bring the many benefits of public transport to even more people and businesses including mobility, safety, sustainability and inclusion.”
All three 24 hour services – Route 39a (connecting Ongar & UCD Belfield), Route 41 (city centre to the airport and on to Swords) and Route 15 (from Ballycullen Road, through the city centre, on to Clongriffin) – run at a 30-minute frequency throughout the night from 11.30pm to 5.00am.
Although these service enhancements will result in increased capacity on these routes, in line with current government guidelines, it is advisable to only use public transport when necessary and to avoid peak-time travel. The new revised timetables for these routes will be available on the Dublin Bus website. Customers can get updates on Facebook, on Twitter @dublinbusnews or call the customer service line on (01) 8734222, lines open from 07.00 – 19.00 Monday to Friday and 08.00 – 18.00 Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
Further information at www.dublinbus.ie