All city bus routes will operate until midnight under radical proposals from the National Transport Authority for the overhaul of the public transport network in Galway.

And the NTA has rowed back on some proposals where members of the public felt their area had been ‘forgotten about’ in the draft version of BusConnects, which was published earlier this year.

The NTA announced this week that it had made a series of changes to the BusConnects proposals – which will be rolled out in 2025 and 2026.

“Concerns were raised during the public consultation process about the possible removal of services from Mervue Shopping Centre. To address these concerns, the NTA plans that the shopping centre can be served at the same bus stop as in the existing network, but by a different route. Route 3 was revised to provide a bus service on Parnell Avenue and Clarke Avenue in Mervue.

“There were a small number of submissions on the network that welcomed a proposed route through Bun a Chnoic and Cnoc an Óir [in Rahoon]. However, many respondents objected to the proposal, noting traffic and safety concerns. The NTA will work with Galway City Council to develop a bus-only street connection in Bun a Chnoic, or north of Bun an Chnoic, to allow service on Letteragh and Rahoon Roads.

“Many people objected to the removal of the bus service on a section of Upper Salthill Road, between Kingston Road and Knocknacarra Road, which is currently served by Routes 402 and 424. The NTA has revised Route 7 to serve this section of Upper Salthill Road.

“Negative feedback was received regarding the proposed removal of a bus service on Kingston Road, between Threadneedle Road and Knocknacarra Road. Kingston Road is currently served by Route 402. Route 10A has been adjusted to serve Kingston Road, connecting it to Salthill.

“Requests were received to extend Route 10 further into Oranmore so as to serve new residential development in Oranhill as well as the Lidl supermarket on Main Street. The NTA has extended bus services to the Lidl supermarket,” the report states.

Despite numerous requests, the NTA said that Circular Road is too narrow to cater for a bus service.

“There were many requests for a bus service on Circular Road. The NTA considers that Circular Road is currently too narrow, presenting a risk that service interruptions would arise affecting passengers on Circular Road and the sections of the route before and after.

“The NTA will work with Galway City Council to explore the possibility of a bus stop and turnaround for peak-only Route 4 buses at the new secondary school just west of the Upper Newcastle Road/Thomas Hynes Road junction. This could bring half hourly peak service within walking distance of the north end of Circular Road,” the report reads.

All city bus routes will operate until midnight from Mondays to Saturdays.

Three routes will operate every 15 minutes with one travelling every ten minutes – two of those from the Gateway Shopping Park in Knocknacarra (B&Q) to Parkmore, the second one via the planned Cross City Link, and the third from Taylor’s Hill Road to Oranmore.

A 24-hour service, to be known as Route 9, will operate from Knocknacarra through the city centre to Doughiska and Parkmore.

“The NTA plans to commence implementation of the New Galway Bus Network between 2025 and 2026,” the report reads.

Pictured: Eyre Square and Gateway Shopping Park in Knocknacarra will be major hubs under the new BusConnects plan being rolled out in 2025 and 2026.