Bus Stops

Serving communities nationwide by providing and improving Bus Stop infrastructure

Bus Stop Infrastructure in Ireland

Overview

Bus stop flagpole

Bus stop flagpole

Across Ireland, there are currently over 12,500 active bus stopping locations.
There are approximately 2,400 bus shelters under the NTA’s management and more than 6,000 bus stop poles.
Bus stopping locations are carefully selected taking many factors into consideration including passenger interchange, accessibility, road alignment, proximity to key trip attractors, safety, lighting and space for shelter facilities, amongst other criteria.
A best-balanced approach weighing up all considerations is applied to select appropriate locations.
Each bus stopping location is subject to the approval of the relevant Road Authority (which is the Local Authority in most instances).

In recent years, the NTA has invested significantly in improvements to bus stop infrastructure nationwide. These improvements are being delivered under several initiatives, including:

  • BusConnects Network ReDesign (NRD) programmes in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford;
  • the Connecting Ireland programme;
  • the Bus stop Enhancement Programme (BSEP), which has allocated €500,000 in 2024 and again in 2025 to each Local Authority in Ireland to fund the enhancement of bus stop infrastructure within its administrative area; and
  • the Active Travel programme.

Bus Stop Facilities

The facilities provided at bus stops in Ireland has improved greatly in recent years as a result of the funding provided by the NTA, but there remains further room for improvement.

The minimum standard that the NTA aspires to is for the bus stopping location to be clearly identified by a bus stop flag, for information regarding the bus services serving the stopping location to be available to intending passengers at the bus stop, for passengers to be able to await the next bus in safety and for passengers to be able to board and alight the bus or coach safely.

It is also the NTA’s aspiration that, over time, the default level of provision will include a bus shelter with illuminated waiting area, and a new bus shelters contract that will come into force in April 2025 is designed to facilitate this.

Bus shelters are now more durable and resistant to vandalism, maintainable and aesthetically-pleasing. Quicker means of installation of shelters have also been developed with the introduction in recent years of the prefabricated City 90 bus shelter which incorporates a solar-powered lighting system, meaning no electrical connection and no electrical underground ducting is required for its installation.

At bus stopping locations where it is not possible to provide a shelter (e.g. because the footpath is too narrow), the Transport for Ireland (TFI) stainless steel bus stop pole is designed to maximise longevity, reduce maintenance and be highly visible for intending passengers. Route information is displayed on the flag and stop specific timetable information is displayed on the carousel.

Other improvements being rolled out at bus stopping locations nationwide in order to enhance accessibility and improve passenger information include passenger seating, poles equipped with integrated solar-powered lighting, braille plates and tapping rails, real time passenger information displays and wheelchair lift accessible bus stops.

Transport for Ireland (TFI) Bus Stop Flag

The TFI Flag is designed to represent a brand all over Ireland that provides the essential information to bus passengers. As part of the NTA’s Bus Connects Programme, all bus poles will become TFI Bus Stop Poles.

Approval for stopping locations

Since 1 February 2013, Local Authorities are responsible for the issuing and renewal of approval for the use of bus stops, whether existing or proposed.  This is in accordance with SI 12 of 2013 and Section 16 of the Road Traffic Act 2002.  Section 16 transfers the responsibilities for the location of bus stops from An Garda Síochána to the Local Authorities.

Consequently, on receipt of a formal offer of a bus route from the National Transport Authority (NTA), a bus/coach operator must also get approval from the relevant local authority for the use of a particular bus/coach stop location, whether this stop is existing or proposed.

Locating bus stops

NTA has implemented the Journey Planner platform which maps all active bus stops. With Journey planner, passengers can access any route information at one place either to plan their journey or to catch the nearest bus. Below is the link and interface of Journey Planner.

Journey Planner | Transport for Ireland

Bus stops Upgrade Programme

NTA is working nationwide to upgrade and provide new bus stops. New and upgraded stops are being rolled out for a number of key initiatives including:

  • Dublin Network Redesign (NRD)
  • Cork NRD
  • Limerick NRD
  • Galway NRD
  • Connecting Ireland
  • Town services

Projects completed and ongoing in 2024/2025.

In 2024 the NTA completed works in many counties across the country and notable works include:

  • Launch of the N2 bus service in Dublin
  • Completion of works at Hazelhatch bridge Kildare to connect routes W61 and W62, allowing passengers to go from Maynooth to Tallaght and vice versa.
  • Extended Route 83 Crumlin village
  • Tendered to upgrade stop infrastructure at circa 270 locations in Cork city and county council. This work will commence in 2025.
  • Prepared tender documents for a further 2,000 pole installations across Dublin
  • Upgrade of the Bus terminal at Munster technical university Cork.
  • Commenced planning and design work on Galway & Limerick NRD’s
  • Significant bus stops completed at Greenogue Ashbourne, Corduff, Lusk and at Drom and Inch Tipperary.
  • On 26th January 2025, the NTA will be launching the E spine bus routes in Dublin.

 

To report any issues with bus stops

For any issues associated with bus stops nationwide please contact info@nationaltransport.ie.

bus stop pole, fence and bus lane  cycle nlane and bus lane and cycle sign

Guidance for Local Authorities, Developers and Contractors

For Local Authorities, Developers or Contractors proposing to temporarily relocate a bus stop, please populate the form here: Relocation of a bus stop and return to info@nationaltransport.ie

For Local Authorities, Developers or Contractors installing new bus stop hardstands and retention sockets, please follow the attached Certification Procedure:

NTA is continuously reviewing and updating the standards as the Cycle Design Manual has been revised in September 2023.

In addition, other Guidelines including Bus Design Guidance Manual, Tactile Design Manual are being prepared.

Additional Documents and Information

Further Information

Requests for new or enhanced infrastructure/facilities at existing bus stops, including the provision of bus shelters and real-time information displays, should be submitted to your Local Authority’s Active Travel department.

Requests for new bus stopping locations on TFI bus routes should be submitted to your local authority’s Active Travel department or info@nationaltransport.ie.