NTA must get its act together following latest DART disruption – Boland

The National Transport Authority (NTA) must urgently review transport planning after thousands of commuters on the northside were left with no DART or commuter service to Dublin city this morning, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Grace Boland, a TD in Dublin Fingal West, said the incident, which impacted on concert goers in Malahide last night and up to 15,000 morning commuters going to and from Dublin city, highlights the need for coordinated transport plans and clear contingency arrangements when disruptions occur.

She said: “The latest disruption demonstrates exactly why I have been raising concerns about transport planning for major concerts and events. We need robust plans in place so that passengers and early morning commuters are not left stranded and operators are not forced to scramble to respond.

“This morning, many people travelling into Dublin city from the northside commuter line and DART stations had no option but to try and get onto crammed buses, into their cars or pay for taxis due to a fault on the line.

“This is not the first concert this Summer which has ended in disaster for people who have faced major difficulty in getting home – it’s wholly unacceptable that NTA have failed to act and get a proper plan in place.

“I want to acknowledge the efforts of Dublin Bus and other operators who provided additional services at short notice. However, public transport providers must continue to meet their wider public service obligations and cannot be expected to have unlimited spare capacity available.”

Deputy Boland said Dublin’s growing events calendar must be matched by transport planning.

“Dublin is attracting more major concerts and events than ever before, which is great for music lovers and our local economy. However, transport planning must keep pace. Getting thousands of people safely and efficiently to and from venues should be considered a core part of event planning.

“There must be better coordination between the National Transport Authority, transport operators, event organisers, local authorities and An Garda Síochána. Concertgoers should be able to enjoy a night out without worrying about how they will get home afterwards.

“The success of our major events cannot be undermined by avoidable transport difficulties. This is about planning ahead, improving coordination and ensuring public transport can support Dublin’s ambitions as a destination for major events.”