Call for bus lanes to be added to Quay in Waterford city amid ‘ideal opportunity’

A local councillor has called for bus lanes to be added to the South Quays in Waterford city.

Independent councillor Declan Barry made the remarks at the March meeting of the Metropolitan District.

Cllr Barry said: “I might make a very good suggestion to reopen all the lanes on the Quay for bus lanes either way because people will use public transport.

“I used it on St Patrick’s Day and I thought it was great but if you get on a bus on the Dunmore Road, you come through Newtown and I know we have some bus lanes there.

“If you had the bus lanes [continue] there you would love what time you’d be in town.

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“It may be the key to the schedule and that, especially with the new transport bridge and everything coming up, it would be an ideal opportunity to tie that all together.”

He concluded by saying he was taking the opportunity to put that suggestion out there as a proposal.

In response to Cllr Barry, Senior Engineer Paul Johnston pushed back against the suggestion and explained the difficulties the council would face in making such a change.

“It would be a considerable task to reopen the traffic lanes on the Quay for bus lanes. We would effectively have to dismantle what was known as the South Quays Green Route to do that.

“It would also require careful consideration of bus lanes leading to and from the Quay because as you know the Bus Connects programme is currently underway.

“The design of the stops and the lay byes are in progress but it’s a project that is largely being implemented by the NTA (National Transport Authority).”

He went on to outline the access issues that might arise, given the number of businesses and car parks located on the Quay.

“I would say when the South Quays Green Route was installed, it was probably 10 or 15 years ago, the provision of bus lanes was considered.

“There are some elements of bus lanes on the Quay but that’s as much as could literally fit. It would be a considerable task to reopen traffic lanes and there would be all kinds of issues then with access to and from the car parks, the main shopping areas, the Clock Tower etc.”