A protest against an “unacceptable” BusConnects service is to proceed on Saturday despite the National Transport Authority (NTA) announcing plans to amend the route after a “rocky start”.
Route 80, which serves Chapelizod village in Dublin, was introduced in October as part of the BusConnects network. It replaced the number 26 bus service which ran from Liffey Valley to Merrion Square.
Since then, local residents say they have been facing frequent delays and cancellations, and now require multiple buses to reach the city centre.
The new route runs from Liffey Valley to Palmerston Park, and diverts from the city centre quays and bus lanes. After it crosses the river Liffey on to Bridge Street, passengers say it often meets significant congestion due to a lack of bus lanes.
READ MORE
Those opposed to the route say it has resulted in frequently cancelled buses, and waits of up to 1½ hours.
“When the 80 is the only bus that services Chapelizod, this is clearly unacceptable,” said local Nick Stefanovic.
Residents point out that the new route has also removed their “only remaining direct bus” to the city centre, resulting in an extra 40 minutes to the journey.
Ahead of a planned protest on Saturday’, the NTA announced plans on Friday evening to amend the route in the second quarter of next year.
Announcing the amendment, Jeremy Ryan, director of public transport services at the NTA acknowledged the route “got off to a rocky start and didn’t meet expectations”.
“When rolling out phases of the BusConnects network, we always give a commitment to monitor the new services, identify any issues that arise, and to put in a fix where appropriate. That’s what we are doing today,” he said.
The amendment will involve merging the 80 service with the existing 130 route that runs from the city centre to Clontarf. It will come into effect in the second quarter of 2026, the NTA said.
The new service will run along the current 80 route as far as Bridge Street, but will continue along the north quays to Eden Quay, and will carry on northward through the city centre to Clontarf.
A temporary measure from “early 2026” will see the 80 service operate along the quays, crossing at O’Connell Bridge rather than at Bridge Street, and continue through College Green to George’s Street.
However, Seán Hewitt, another organiser of Saturday’s protest, said locals were “more angry than before”.
“The NTA imposed one change on us without consultation and is now trying to impose another without listening to the community. It is a half measure and is not good enough,” he said.
“The vast majority of people just want a simple, direct route as we used to have, not a route that travels as far as Clontarf and is likely to end up with the same delays, cancellations and congestion as the 80.”
