€1bn plan to increase bus patronage by 50% in Dublin by speeding up trips unveiled

A plan to increase bus patronage by 50% in Dublin through bus rapid transit and 'next generation' bus corridors has been unveiled by the Irish Government and the National Transport Authority.

The 'BusConnects' programme aims to ensure that "just about everybody will be able to beat the congestion by using the bus rather than a car to get around," making bus travel more appealing, said Anne Graham, chief executive officer of the NTA. It follows the earmarking of €3.6bn for investment to progress public transport projects in 2015, including the expansion of the 'Dart,' Dublin Area Rapid Transit. But the authority said that Dublin is a low-density city with few areas that have the size and concentration of population to support rail-based public transport.

The NTA said that was why the new plans, which involve overhauling existing bus routes, are primarily about investing in bus transport, to provide more "immediate solutions" to worsening congestion.