Chronically slow bus travel times

Sir, – In “Should the Dublin city traffic plan go ahead this summer?” (Opinion & Analysis, May 28th), Billy Hann, the chief executive of Dublin Bus, states that due to congestion it can take up to 29 minutes to travel just 10km in Dublin. I must admit to being envious of those who can avail of such a zippy pace. I commute between Dublin 16 and Dublin 1 (just shy of 10km) and without fail it takes more than 60 minutes for the homeward leg.

Mr Hann also fails to mention that when traffic is light (such as very early in the morning), bus drivers routinely pull in and announce “a short delay while the bus gets back on schedule”. Given the length of these stoppages, I have seen commuters check on the driver’s welfare, or just alight altogether. These stoppages can occur multiple times on a single journey.

Dublin Bus advises that drivers must stick to the schedule, but it seems these schedules are based on the worst of traffic conditions. Thus, commuters are condemned to chronically slow travel times regardless of conditions. I can’t imagine this is what commuters want. – Yours, etc,

DEIRDRE COOPER,

Knocklyon,

Dublin 16.