Heated exchanges in City Hall as details of new Galway bus system unveiled
A presentation and discussion from the National Transport Authority (NTA) this month occupied over two hours of the Galway City November meeting, as plans for a major redesign of the city’s bus network were unveiled.
The proposal promises renumbered services, more reliable timetables, and over 190 new stops, with a projected rollout date of 2027.
The meeting saw heated exchanges over bus shelters, budget concerns, and the need for a more trustworthy service.
According to the presentation given by transportation consultant John Barry, the new plan will extend service areas from the western side of Bearna, up to Mionlach, and the eastern side of Oranmore. It includes a park-and-ride facilities, 193 new stops, and upgrades to 196 existing stops with improved infrastructure and signage.
A 50pc increase in services is expected, with investment in roads, stands, terminals, staffing, and vehicle quality.
To avoid confusion between counties, bus routes will be renumbered. A new 9a/b service is planned as a 24-hour route, covering east and west Galway with a diversion through Knocknacarra. The busiest routes will operate on a “turn-up-and-go” basis, with frequencies so reliable that commuters will not need to check timetables.
Public consultations were held in summer 2023, with around 200 people attending meetings and 900 responses submitted. Feedback showed broad support for increased services, even if benefits were felt more city-wide than individually.
Public consultation feedback was applied to the planning projections of this presentation to the elected members.
Once the presentation concluded, councillors offered strong feedback, punctuated after an hour by a coffee break to ease tensions over repeated calls for better bus shelters.
Cllr Donal Lyons said he was “disappointed” the plan did not include a route-by-route system upgrade to maximise infrastructure improvements.
Cllrs Declan McDonnell and Eibhlín Seoighthe highlighted Galway’s worsening traffic problems, warning that waiting until 2027 was too long.
“While we are waiting until 2027 what plans are in place to appease the traffic deadlocks that are happening right now? Is there anything in place to service more rural areas or places that are lacking until then?” Cllr Seoighthe asked Mr Barry.
Amoung the conversation, threads seemed to tie back to the poor infrastructure of bus shelters and stops, specially making them accessible to all and fully sheltered from the West’s vicious rain patterns.
Concerns repeatedly circled back to bus shelters. Cllr Frank Fahy described the lack of cover as “beyond a joke” if commuters would opt to walk 20 minutes to a bus stop to stand exposed to the elements rather than drive, “and for a bus that may not even come.”
Responding, Mr Barry stressed that responsibility for shelters lies with the local authority though the NTA has left room in the proposal for them to be considered under local allocations.
Mr Barry added that funding is available to begin and complete the project, while Cllr Niall McNelis emphasised the need to ensure the “best bang for buck.”
With all councillors ultimately approving the motion, the chamber moved on to the next agenda item. Before departing, Mr Barry fielded one final question about how he had travelled to the meeting.
He replied that he had enjoyed a ride in from Knocknacarra on the local 410 bus, after travelling in from Limerick to Galway on the 51. A sure exposure to the trials and tribulations of Galway’s bus systems.
With discussion from councillors edging the clock closer to 6pm, it was this topic that may have left the meeting adjourned without a resolution to Councillor Eibhlín Seoighthe’s motion against the abolishment of the Triple Lock. A motion that brought demonstrators outside chamber doors before the meeting began.