The shortage of bus drivers could delay plans to remove traffic from College Green, the National Transport Authority has warned.
Traffic lanes are set to be removed to make way for pedestrianised and public space on the square from next year. The removal of traffic lanes is designed to take place as the first tranche of bus routes are taken off College Green as part of the BusConnects plan.
BusConnects is the new system of public transport designed by the NTA which aims to improve bus services in Irish cities. Four phases of the plan have been rolled out so far with a further seven set to be unveiled over the next two years.
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Over the next year-and-a-half, the rest of the traffic is set to be removed as part of the plans for College Green unveiled by Dublin City Council's Chief Executive Owen Keegan. However, the NTA has told councillors progression of the phased rollout of BusConnects - and by extension, the College Green traffic ban - is dependent on the number of bus drivers working in the capital.
In response to councillors requesting the College Green elements of BusConnects be expedited, Deputy Chief Executive of the NTA, Hugh Creegan, said the biggest challenge facing the rollout was the "shortage of bus drivers".
He said: "As the Committee will be aware, the NTA is rolling out the new BusConnects bus network in phases, with four phases now implemented and a further seven phases to be introduced over the next two years. One of the most significant challenges impacting this roll-out at present is the shortage of bus drivers."
There are "major difficulties" recruiting bus drivers across all bus operators which is impacting the operation of current routes as well as the introduction of new routes. He said: "Because the BusConnects network represents a substantial increase in bus service levels, additional drivers are required for the additional services and to maintain the existing services.
"All bus operators are having major difficulties in recruiting sufficient drivers at present and this is impacting both the operation of the existing bus routes and the introduction of new routes." The Deputy Chief said the NTA will work with DCC to progress BusConnects but added the new transport system is "subject to the availability of sufficient driver resources."
At a meeting of the same DCC sub-Committee, Council boss Owen Keegan explained the plans for the plaza on College Green. He said: "As the bus network redesign is implemented and as more routes are removed from College Green, we intend to appropriate more of the road space and allocate it over to public use and pedestrian use etc.
"That'll start next year as the first tranche of bus routes are relocated off the square. We will still be maintaining a traffic lane in both directions but over the next 18 months we hope to appropriate a lot of the road space and allocate that to pedestrianisation use as a kind of an interim scheme to capture the benefits of relocating bus services" as part of BusConnects.
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