Transport body spends €2.5m to decide routes for Cork bus projects

It could be early 2025 before the final design for the 11 strategic transport corridors are ready to be submitted to An Bord Pleanála. Picture: Dan Linehan

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has spent almost €2.5m on public consultation for its €600m BusConnects Cork project.

It could be early next year before the final designs for its network of 11 strategic transport corridors are ready for submission to An Bord Pleanála, it has emerged.

Figures provided by the NTA show that since July 2021, it has spent a total of €2,421,995 on five rounds of public consultation — two on the city's proposed new bus network and three on the corridor designs.

Most of the spend has been on “staff, visuals and events”, with just over €570,000 spent on advertising, and almost €370,000 spent on printing and delivery of materials. 

A breakdown of the NTA spend shows how:

• €1,183,401 has been spent on staff, visuals and events;
• €572,331 has been spent on advertising;
• €204,264 has been spent on printing;
• €164,509 has been spent on leaflet delivery;
• €83,140 spent on translation services;
• €14,030 has been spent on communication;
• €1,587 spent on website development.

The details emerged in response to a parliamentary question tabled by Labour TD Sean Sherlock.

While the overall project includes new bus routes and timetables, new fares, new fleet, bus stops, and shelters, it has been the strategic transport corridors — some 90km of bus lane and bus priority routes, and 96km of cycling facilities — that have been the most contentious.

The first round of public consultation on the city's bus network began in July 2021, with the emerging preferred routes published in mid-2022.

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That five-month consultation period included six public information events and almost 3,000 submissions were received, leading to design changes that were published in March 2023.

In the second consultation period, the NTA had 30 meetings with residents, businesses, and special interest groups, generating almost 4,400 submissions.

Revised designs were published for a third round of public consultation which ran from November 6 to December 18, attracting around 1,500 submissions.

Labour’s local election candidate in the city’s southeast ward, Peter Horgan, said the best sign that the consultation has worked is if all the issues, such as the contentious proposal to remove the landmark Finger Post sign in Douglas, have been addressed before the plans are submitted to An Bórd Pleanála.

“But I don't think we’re there yet,” he said.

“We are down to the nitty-gritty details, but we need to have senior NTA management walking the streets to get this right, to avoid potential legal challenges which could delay delivery of the project even more."

NTA chief executive Hugh Cregan said it is now working to finalise the preferred route options for all 11 strategic transport corridors.

“The designs will be further developed and statutory consent applications to An Bord Pleanála will be prepared. It is anticipated these applications will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála on a phased basis beginning Q1 2025 for its consideration and determination.

“A formal statutory consultation process will be undertaken as part of that process,” he said.