Navan commuters at ‘breaking point’ as bus reliability collapses, says Meath councillor
Navan commuters are facing worsening delays, overcrowding and repeated service failures across several key routes, with an Aontú councillor warning that the situation has now reached “breaking point”.
Councillor Emer Tóibín said journey times on the NX and 109 routes have “shot up dramatically” in recent weeks, leaving workers, hospital patients and students stranded or arriving hours late.
One commuter who contacted her reported that the 7.15am 109 bus from Kennedy Plaza took more than two and a half hours to reach the Mater Hospital.
Several passengers with scheduled appointments were late — some “too late to be seen”.
She added that students travelling from Navan to secondary schools in Dunshaughlin are now routinely arriving late.
“The frustration is incredible, and it’s growing by the day. Over two hours one way just to reach the north side of Dublin — not even the city centre,” she said.
The councillor also said that NX buses have been breaking down frequently.
“On top of that, issues with the bus lanes on the old Dublin Road are slowing buses even further. New speed limits outside MSD and other spots are also contributing to long tailbacks. It’s a mess for thousands of people every single day.”
According to Cllr Tóibín, the National Transport Authority (NTA) said the NX runs every 20 minutes but demand continues to strain capacity.
“They are currently collecting loading data and travel patterns to put together a ‘capacity mitigation proposal’ for the NX and the 109. Any additional services will depend on funding and resources.”
“This is not good enough for people spending five hours a day commuting a 60-mile journey. Public transport is supposed to make life easier — right now it’s doing the opposite,” she said.
“Navan commuters deserve urgent action, not more analysis. Capacity, reliability and journey times are on a continuous review loop, but decisions need to be made to add capacity at peak times. It needs to be addressed now.”