Call for increased frequency on Sunday buses in bid to tackle Galway’s festive traffic chaos
The Christmas period has once again become a testing ground for a raft of traffic and commuting measures, and now one Galway West TD is urging for additional plans.
Galway West TD John Connolly has called on Galway City Council, Bus Éireann and An Garda Síochána to ramp up public transport services in the city from December 18 to December 24.
His proposal includes a request that Bus Éireann extend its Monday–Friday timetable into the weekend, ensuring that popular routes such as the 402, 405, 407 and 409 run more frequently on Sundays.
While Deputy Connolly acknowledges that traffic congestion is a “persistent problem” throughout the year, he said Sundays are becoming increasingly busy in the run-up to Christmas.
“Placing extra buses on each route will counter to an extent the increased congestion over these coming weeks,” he said.
“I think with the correct will from the appropriate authorities that a plan can be formulated rapidly,” Deputy Connolly added. “We have the opportunity to counteract the worst of the City’s traffic congestion at one of the busiest times of the year.”
He argued that the measure could also serve as a preview of future traffic patterns, offering valuable data to help address Galway’s long-running congestion issues.
Separately, Galway City Council has announced partnerships with two local universities to provide free parking for Christmas shoppers near major bus routes. Spaces will be available at Corrib Village at the University of Galway and at the ATU campus from December 13 to December 24.