Go Ahead renew contract to provide north Wicklow bus services

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has confirmed that Go-Ahead Ireland will continue to operate bus services in the Wicklow area.

Following a competitive tender process, the NTA first awarded the company a contract to operate bus services in October 2018 which ran for five years up to 2023, with the company choosing to extend it by two years up to 2025.

The contract was due to expire at the end of the year, but it will be renewed with the relevant documentation to be signed in the coming weeks.

It will take effect from November 2025 for a period of five years, with the possibility of a further two-year extension.

The decision was conveyed to Deputy John Brady during a recent meeting with the CEO of the NTA and comes despite several performance deficits over the past seven years.

In 2023 alone, Go-Ahead was fined €1.1 million in performance-related penalties. In the first quarter of 2024, the company incurred a further €761,000 in deductions due to poor service delivery.

The L1, L2, L3, L15 and the 45A are among the routes operated by Go Ahead in mainly parts of North Wicklow including Bray, Greystones, Kilmacanogue and Newtownmountkennedy.

Deputy Brady expressed his disappointment at the move.

“It is incredibly disappointing that Go-Ahead has once again been chosen to operate bus routes in Wicklow.” “This decision comes despite a track record of serious failures over the last seven years. It’s clear the government is intent on doubling down on the privatisation of our public transport network—regardless of how poorly it’s working for local communities.”

Deputy Brady stated, “I am writing to both the Minister for Transport and the NTA urging them not to proceed with awarding the new contract to Go-Ahead.”

“Reliable, frequent, and accessible public transport is essential—not just for reducing car dependency and emissions, but for ensuring communities can stay connected. But none of that is possible if people can’t even rely on their bus to arrive.”