There will now be eight 24 hour buses in Dublin to help people get home safely after a night out.

The Department of Transport have planned the introduction of two new 24 hour buses this autumn. In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport said that Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan “recognises that the demand for late-night transport is increasing,” and that the National Transport Authority are working to meet this demand.

According to the Department, the NTA is planning to introduce 24 hour buses to the upcoming G1 and G2 routes. This is Phase Four of the new BusConnect network rollout. There will now be eight 24 hour buses throughout Dublin.

The G1 and G2 buses primarily serve the areas around Ballyfermot, Clondalkin and Inchicore. The G1 begins at Spencer Dock before travelling through the city to Red Cow via New Nangor Road, Woodford Walk. The G2 will also start at Spencer Dock, and travel through Clondalkin before terminating at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.

When in the city, both the G1 and G2 travel both travel through Dame Street and College Green. Anyone attending clubs like The George and Twenty Two, as well as bars such as Workman’s, will easily access these new 24 hour buses after a night out.

The routes will also drive through Kilmainham and St James’s Hospital before going towards towards Ballyfermot, Clondalkin and Inchicore.

Other 24 hour routes

The NTA have also expressed an interest to expand the E-Spine, the F-Spine and the O-orbital into 24 hour routes. The E1 and E2 routes serve Ballymun and Charlestown in north Dublin, respectively, before finishing in Dun Laoghaire and Bray in the south. The E will follow a similar route to the current 46 and 145 buses.

The F1, F2, and F3 will begin at Finglas, before taking different routes around north Dublin. They will travel through the city via Phibsborough and Dorset Street, before finishing their journeys at Square Tallaght, Cherryfield and Tymon Park respectively.

The orbital route services the North and South Circular Road areas.

Transport on nights out

These new 24 hour services will work towards creating safer journeys home after a night out. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee previously announced plans to submit legislation allowing pubs and nightclubs to stay open later. This new legislation, however, must come with increased measures to ensure safety at night.

A 2020 report found that 55 per cent of women do not feel safe using public transport at night. 34 per cent said that their concerns about safety travelling at night has prevented them from going out completely.

The NTA recently ruled out the prospect of a late-night Luas service. Currently, only 29 per cent of registered taxi drivers operate on Friday and Saturday nights. There are currently 10,087 taxis in Dublin according to the NTA. This is an increase in only 32 taxis since the end of 2021.

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