Call for bus lane on the M3 between the toll plaza and Mulhuddart

A CALL for a bus lane on the M3 between the toll plaza and Mulhuddart got support from fellow councillors when Fianna Fáil Cllr Mike Bray tabled it at Monday's meeting of Meath Co Council.

The Kells Municipal District councillor said it would reduce commute times for those getting the bus to Dublin.

The councillor wants Meath Co Council to engage with other authorities to develop a bus lane between the Southern M3 toll plaza and Mulhuddart.

“We have excellent express bus services from Kells, Athboy, Trim and Navan into Dublin every day which hundreds of commuters use on a daily basis. However, most weeks in the mornings there is a backlog of traffic on the M3/N3 into Dublin before the bus lane starts at Mulhuddart.”

He said the delays could add up to an hour to bus journeys from Meath meaning bus users are late for work, hospital appointments, and other commitments.

“As someone who commutes to Dublin for work on the bus two or three days a week I have personal experience of this and know the frustration it causes commuters and other bus users. If the bus lane was extended towards Mulhuddart towards the Southern toll plaza in Meath it would alleviate a lot of these delays that Meath commuters face on a weekly basis.

These delays have a major impact on commuters' work life balance and can also impact on their career progression as they are now occurring more regularly.

When there are no accidents or traffic jams the bus services from Meath make great time and they would continue to do so if there was a bus lane along this stretch. There is ample room along the M3 and N3 verges to facilitate a bus lane so it would not impact on the other lanes which cars and other vehicles use.”