Buses:There were no surprises for bus passengers in the National Development Plan, as most of the measures had already been announced in the Government's Transport 21 plan unveiled in 2005.
Under that plan, Dublin Bus was given the target of increasing passenger-carrying capacity by 60 per cent by 2015, through new and replacement bus acquisition. The expansion of the Quality Bus Corridor programme was also set out.
Last September, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen approved funding of €30 million for the purchase of 100 new buses by Dublin Bus. Yesterday Dublin Bus spokeswoman Clíodhna Ní Fhátharta said that those 100 buses would be entering service on a phased basis within the next six months. She said the development of bus services was "critical in the next three to five years to meet the growing needs of the population of Dublin".
Also under Transport 21, Bus Éireann was given a package of about €50 million to provide 160 new or replacement buses within the next year to 18 months. A spokeswoman for Bus Éireann said the first batch of new buses would be arriving later this year.
The NDP says bus-based public transport networks will be either created or improved in the gateway locations of Cork, Shannon, Galway and Dundalk. It says new bus priority measures will be put in place and park-and-ride facilities provided.
It also promises that €90 million will be invested in the Rural Transport Initiative (RTI)over the next seven years. RTI funding will be doubled this year and then increased steadily over the plan's term.
