Sinn Féin TDs annoyed over delays to Cork bus timetable changes

Cork Sinn Féin TDs have expressed disappointment at the timelines for BusConnects and timetable changes for the 214 and other routes.

Thomas Gould and Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, along with councillors Michelle Gould and Joe Lynch, met with the NTA on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing crisis in Cork’s bus service.

Mr Gould told The Echo: “We discussed BusConnects and I am deeply concerned that we won’t see BusConnects fully delivered until 2035 given the pace it is being delivered at.

“Originally, the first phases were due in 2023. Now we are being told Phase 1 won’t be delivered until April, 2026, and we’ve no timeline for the delivery of later phases. Tenders for the installation of a temporary depot in Tivoli have now been signed and this is expected by February, 2026.

“Phase 1 can’t progress until this is completed because Capwell is now at capacity. There was no clarity on why this was delayed or why it hasn’t progressed before now. I am really concerned that our bus service is going to fall deeper into crisis and BusConnects is going to continue to gather dust on shelves.”

An NTA spokesperson told The Echo: “It is intended that the first phase of the Cork Network Redesign will be delivered in April, 2026, with the remaining phases to be fully implemented in later 2026 and 2027.

“This is subject to funding and operational readiness.

“The new bus network will deliver an overall increase of 53% in bus services in Cork.

“This will result in a larger fleet, hence the need to develop a new depot at Tivoli.

“Construction on the Tivoli site will begin in the coming months ahead of the intended roll-out of the new network early next year.”

Mr Gould also expressed disappointment that a timetable fix for the 214, originally promised for late April or early May, will now not be delivered until June, and that the NTA haven’t received a new timetable for the route and doesn’t know how many drivers it would need.

Mr Gould said: “It is expected that the 214 timetable change will be accompanied by changes to the 201, 203, 205, 207 and 215. This is welcome but the NTA have no details on these changes either.”

Mr Ó Laoghaire said that the 214 “is unfortunately one of the most unreliable routes in Cork”.

“In recent weeks alone, I came across a case in February of a bus delayed by 55 minutes, where an elderly couple were soaked in the rain and late for an appointment.

“On the day of the election last year, I met a woman waiting 45 minutes for a bus, to see her gravely ill husband in the CUH, missing out on a large chunk of her visiting times.

“On a daily basis, people are late for work and school, or appointments, and in some instances have stopped getting the bus altogether, which is the last thing we need”, he said, adding that the issues are not the fault of the drivers “who are doing their best”.

He welcomed that the NTA committed to a punctuality and reliability fix for the 214 service, saying it was “long overdue” and that he plans to monitor its implementation.