Routes 80, 23 and 24, which began operating last October in Chapelizod and Finglas as part of Phase 7 of the BusConnects Programme, have been plagued by reliability issues since their launch. Bus users reported long delays and frequent no-shows, prompting protests in both areas and calls for the reinstatement of previous services.
Following a review late last year, TII agreed to alter the routes and has confirmed that the changes will come into effect from Sunday, 8 February.
According to TII, the reliability problems were largely caused by high levels of traffic congestion on new city centre alignments, combined with driver availability constraints. The agency said the revised routings are aimed at improving punctuality while maintaining strong links to key destinations in the city centre.
In a statement, TII said routes 23 and 24 currently operate via Bridge Street, High Street and Christchurch, areas that have experienced “heavy and unpredictable traffic” in recent months and where bus-priority measures are limited. To address this, both services will be rerouted along the quays, crossing the River Liffey at O’Connell Bridge before continuing past Trinity College to their existing terminus at Merrion Square.
TII said the change is expected to significantly improve reliability while restoring direct access to the O’Connell Bridge area, which had previously been served by Route 83.
Route 80, which operates between Liffey Valley and the south city via Chapelizod, will also be amended on an interim basis. From 8 February, the service will follow its existing alignment as far as Bridge Street before diverting to the quays, O’Connell Bridge, College Green and Dame Street, and then continuing on South Great George’s Street to re-join its current route to Palmerston Park.
TII said this temporary arrangement will be removed at a later date, ahead of the planned closure of Dame Street between College Green and South Great George’s Street as part of Dublin City Council’s College Green Pedestrian Plaza scheme. At that point, routes 80 and 130 will be merged into a single cross-city service linking Liffey Valley and Clontarf. The combined route is currently expected to be introduced in 2027.
TII Director of Public Transport Services Jeremy Ryan said the changes were made directly in response to customer feedback. He added that the performance of the routes would continue to be closely monitored, with further adjustments made if necessary to ensure a more reliable service for passengers.
