Thousands of commuters in Dublin will be left without adequate public transport unless there is a large increase in the bus fleet, a new report warns.
The network review for Dublin Bus also states that the Government's ambitious €35 billion Transport 21 plan will not begin to deliver significant new capacity on the rail or Luas system for another five years.
It also says that the bus funding element of the plan is the only way of increasing the capacity of public transport in the short term.
The report advises that the capital will need 425 extra buses to cater for rising demand and that there should be new bus corridors, along with a reorganisation of city-centre traffic flows, to improve journey times.
The cost of the additional buses would be in the region of €150 million.
The report, prepared by consultants MVA for Dublin Bus, has been submitted to the Department of Transport.