Bus Connects To Be Delivered By The Summer For Bray.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has provided an update on the long-awaited Bus Connects service for Bray and the surrounding areas.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has provided an update on the long-awaited Bus Connects service for Bray and the surrounding areas, which was first announced in 2018 and was promised would become operational last year.

Following requests for more information on a timeline, Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore said she recently received written confirmation from the NTA stating that services are due to commence by the summer of 2024. However, having missed their previous deadlines for these services, Deputy Whitmore has asked that delivery for Wicklow be a priority for the NTA in the coming months.Among the services pledged, a new bus route, L14, would take in the full Southern Cross Road, Putland Road, Meath Road, Strand Road, DART station and out to Palermo. The L15 would come on stream to serve a route directly from Bray to Enniskerry, without diverting to Palermo.Also in the plans was a loop service to link Newtownmountkennedy to Kilcoole and Greystones. While new routes called L1 and L2 would link Greystones, Newcastle, Kilcoole, and Newtownmountkennedy. A feeder bus L12 was also mooted to take passengers from the current Ballywaltrim/Southern Cross Terminus to Bray DART station.

“While this confirmation from the NTA is very welcome, the overall delivery of Bus Connects for towns like Bray and Greystones has been delayed for far too long,” Deputy Whitmore said. “As our largest towns along the east coast of Wicklow have grown steadily in recent years, our bus services have not kept pace.“Bus Connects plans for Bray and Greystones were announced and went to public consultation in 2018. Six years later, we still don’t have many proposed routes in that scheme. In particular, the L1 and L2 loop services to Greystones, Newcastle, Kilcoole, Newtownmountkennedy and Bray are badly needed.