From Sunday, two 24 hour buses will replace the 79 and the 79a in the next phase of the BusConnects plan for Dublin.

Two new 24 hour buses are arriving in Dublin this weekend. From October 16, the fourth phase of BusConnects, the G spine, will run from Spencer’s Dock to west Dublin.

The G1 and G2 buses primarily serve the areas around Ballyfermot, Clondalkin and Inchicore. The G1 begins at Spencer Dock before travelling along the south quay up to Wellington Quay. The G1 finishes at 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. The incoming G1 and G2 buses will travel along the north quay to reach Spencer’s Dock.

Within the city, Transport for Ireland’s (TFI) website suggests that both G1 and G2 will stop at all major bus stops along the quays, including Eden Quay and Burgh Quay.

The G1 and G2 will run every 10 to 30 minutes on weekdays, and every 15 to 30 on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. The overnight service from 23:14 until 04:15 will run roughly every hour.

The G spine will replace the 79 and 79a, as well as the last leg of Route 40. Rest in peace 79, you would have loved to have been 24 hours.

The new Route 40 will go from Charlestown Shopping Centre to Leeson Street.

24 hour buses and other changes

There will be now be ten 24 hour buses through Dublin. Only took over a decade to get to double-digits, baby.

Other changes under phase four of BusConnects is the introduction of Route 60. This route will run every hour, going from Sir John Rogerson’s Quay to Red Cow via Ballyfermot.

For the future, the National Transport Authority has in developing 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.

These changes are expected to be installed over the coming years. For now, let’s just hope the “G” in G Spine doesn’t stand for Ghost Bus.

Transport on nights out

These new 24 hour buses 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 until 6am. While we all love a good long sesh, any new legislation must come with increased measures to ensure safety at night.

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

Elsewhere on District: An Eco Art Festival is coming to IMMA this month