The campaign against Bus Cuts in the Clondalkin and Rathcoole area has been launched this week. Local people have voiced concerns and opposition to Dublin Bus’s proposals in the Network Direct Programme.

At a meeting in Rathcoole last week 140 people attended a lively meeting organised by People Before Profit Councillor Gino Kenny in the Rathcoole Community Centre.

The meeting agreed to campaign against Dublin Bus’s plans to cut back on the service to Rathcoole.

Dublin Bus wants to amalgamate services and proposes that the 68&69 bus routes will integrate with bus services at Clondalkin village or the Red Cow Luas Station. The plan will result in Rathcoole/Newcastle no longer having a direct bus service to city centre.

Bus routes 68 & 69 will now terminate at the Red Cow Luas Station.

The meetings agreed to take up a mass petition in both areas to submit to Dublin Bus before the consultation process ends on the 11 February.
Speaking after the meeting Cllr Kenny said,

“This week’s meetings was the real consultation process. We have seen by the numbers here and local sentiment, that Dublin Bus’s proposals will be vigorously opposed .With this amount of opposition from the Communities of Rathcoole and Newcastle, Dublin Bus have to listen to its customers who use this service. I hope Dublin Bus see sense on this issue, because it doesn’t make logistical or logical sense to not have a direct bus service to the city from both areas”.

At the meetings organised in the Clondalkin areas the sentiment was the same. Cllr Kenny said,

“The people of South West Clondalkin and the Clondalkin Village area will now only have one bus to choose from if your coming from town, if you take the 151 and 78A out of the equation. The 210 bus service which people especially from the Bawnogue area use to get them to Liffey Valley and Tallaght is now been proposed to terminate altogether. Dublin Bus have to ask themselves are they running a public service or a service that services their revenue”.