BUSES passing through Douglas village are facing up to 40-minute delays due to heavy traffic.

Councillor Michael ‘Frick’ Murphy (SF), a regular bus user, said the 223 and 220 buses are getting stuck in tailbacks between Douglas cinema and Douglas Village shopping centre, causing severe delays for commuters at peak times.

He has urged Bus Éireann to reroute the buses so they take a detour through east of the village.

“I get the bus in the morning and the junction is crazy. I have contacted Martin Walsh [Bus Éireann regional manager] about this a number of times. Why don’t they allow the bus to use the road by McDonald’s?

“I was 20 minutes on the bus at those lights and I have heard of people being there up to 40 minutes. Douglas village is the main stumbling block and trying to get out of that junction. Something needs to be done.”

Eoghan Jeffers (SF) suggested the use of bus priority lights.

“I was in traffic there recently and I saw three buses stacked one behind the other at that junction. There needs to be a solution.

“There needs to be a set of traffic lights or bus priority lights that would flash green and let buses off.”

Seamus McGrath (FF) added: “The situation is quite ludicrous. We have public transport coming through here and it isn’t a priority route.

“We know that traffic gets priority coming from Douglas Court but not through the village and that’s the route the bus takes.

“It flies contrary to all policies to prioritise public transport. The buses are severely impacted by trying to go through Douglas village in the route they take.”

Deirdre Forde said a council official charged with tackling problematic junctions as part of the Douglas Land Use and Transportation study has now retired from the Council.

“This is the single most difficult junction in the village,” she added.

Senior executive officer for municipal districts Jim Molloy told councillors he would speak to the Council’s transport section to seek an update on plans and funding for addressing the junctions.