Pressure builds on Wicklow council to provide detailed timeline on €500,000 bus stop upgrades

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

Wicklow County Council is facing renewed scrutiny over its ability to deliver public transport improvements after concerns were raised about a significant underspend in last year’s Bus Stop Enhancement Programme.

The issue dominated discussion at this month’s council meeting, where elected members questioned whether the local authority is prepared to manage the far larger €500,000 allocation earmarked for 2026.

The chief executive’s report outlined progress on Connecting Ireland and National Transport Authority (NTA) projects, including new stops, upgrades and relocations across several municipal districts.

But while the report detailed activity linked to the 2025 Connecting Ireland budget of €150,000, it offered little clarity on how the council intends to deliver the more ambitious Bus Stop Enhancement Programme next year.

Cllr Stokes told the meeting that he had reviewed the report and found that it “mainly gives an update on the 2025 funding and where that was being invested”, but did not address the wider programme.

He reminded officials that “only a fraction of the available one was spent last year”, adding that he was “not going to point fingers and play the blame game”, but wanted to ensure the same situation did not occur again.

He stressed that councillors and members of the Transport SPC had already submitted 92 improvement suggestions for bus stops across the county.

“So in fairness there really is no shortage of places that can get investment,” he said. “I do think it would be appropriate to have it on next month’s report.”

The report did provide a detailed list of the works currently underway. Two new stops on the Naas Road in Blessington have been completed, while another two on Hawkstown Road in the Wicklow Municipal District are under construction. Two full stop installations beside the Blessington Municipal District office are being built, and two stops in Stratford have been completed.

In Dunlavin, the precise locations for two new Connecting Ireland stops have been agreed, with construction to follow once the design stage is finalised. Wicklow town is also due to receive two upgraded stops, though the design and layout still need to be agreed with the municipal district.

One of the more notable changes involves Tinakilly, where an existing stop is being relocated to make room for a new shelter south of the graveyard. That work will be carried out once the contractor completes the Hawkstown Road installations.

Beyond these specific projects, the council is preparing a countywide programme of upgraded line markings, including refreshed bus cages and new markings across the Wicklow Municipal District (MD). These works are being compiled into a single list for delivery.

Separately, Wicklow MD is beginning construction on five additional Connecting Ireland locations identified in the national Bus Stop Audit Report. These cover various sites in Rathnew and Wicklow town. Although the report did not list the street names, the audit numbers correspond to stops flagged for safety, accessibility or visibility improvements.

The first major piece of infrastructure under the Bus Stop Enhancement Programme itself will be in Arklow, where the council plans to begin work on the Spar Road corridor. Officials told councillors that consultants are in the process of being appointed to develop the design and layout for that scheme, which is expected to form the backbone of the early 2026 programme.

Despite these updates, Cllr Stokes argued that the council still lacks a clear, consolidated plan for the year ahead.

“It is something that I have been raising consistently at the transport meetings,” he said, “but I do think it would be appropriate to have it on next month’s report.”

Responding to Cllr Stokes, Wicklow County Council director of services Joe Lane acknowledged the need for a detailed schedule, but cautioned that it may not be ready in time for the next council meeting.

He said the appointment of consultants for the Arklow scheme was a key step, adding that “we’ll start working through the plan, and we’ll give you a detail of where we’re going with that once consultants are appointed”.

While the chief executive’s report noted that a new NTA tracker is being populated to map out works for 2026 and 2027, including shelter requests and safety related upgrades, it also made clear that many items still require assessment. Some proposals overlap with Connecting Ireland works, while others may require additional infrastructure such as footpath improvements or accessibility adjustments.

For Cllr Stokes the central issue is the risk of another underspend. With €500,000 allocated for 2026, the Bus Stop Enhancement Programme represents one of the most significant investments in local public transport infrastructure in recent years.

Failure to spend the full amount could undermine confidence in the council’s ability to deliver on national transport priorities and could weaken the case for future funding.