Green Party transport spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe has called on Dublin Bus to provide free bus travel for commuters during European Mobility week (16-22 September) to encourage more people to switch to public transport. The week culminates in a car free day “In town without my car” on September 22nd.

Deputy Cuffe said:

“European Mobility week is a perfect opportunity for Dublin Bus to open its doors and encourage commuters who might not normally take the bus to hop on board

“We’ve seen bus passenger trips drop off since the recession started last year and I feel this is a good opportunity to encourage some of those 64,000 who drive into the city during the morning peak hours, out of their cars and onto buses.

“No doubt, Dublin Bus is facing tougher economic times as we have seen with the service cutbacks but with the ‘Bus Gate’ improving city centre journey times, Dublin Bus should grab this chance to show the benefits of public transport and grow its passenger numbers.
 
"Despite the economic downturn we are still faced with the long term problems of higher energy prices for petrol and diesel. The more commuters we have taking public transport, the less dependent we'll be on imported oil and this is an opportunity for Dublin Bus to demonstrate the benefits of improved bus priority measures and quicker journey times."