REVEALED: How many Irish drivers admit to blocking bus stops

Bus Éireann, supported by the National Transport Authority (NTA), are launching their ‘Keep it Clear’ campaign today, reminding motorists to think of those people who are impacted most by drivers blocking bus stops and to raise awareness of the implications, including fines for illegal parking.

According to a recent Ipsos survey of 1,000 people conducted on behalf of Bus Éireann, 25% of those who drive admit to parking or stopping in designated bus stops. 31% of Dublin drivers admit to having done so, the greatest number in the country. The majority of those who admit to doing so – 56% say they do so to drop-off or pick-up passengers, with 15% saying they do it to take a phone call and 12% when they have nowhere else to park.

More than half of those who admit to stopping in bus stops say they do so to drop-off or pick-up passengers. However, by occupying that stop for one person, they are delaying many more passengers who are on the bus waiting to pull in, passengers at the stop waiting to get on and a line of other motorists behind who will be caught in any traffic created because of irresponsible parking.

The Ipsos survey also asked the 1,000 respondents what groups they believe are most impacted by buses being unable to park in bus stops. 87% recognised that people with disabilities or wheelchair users are impacted, with 85% agreeing that older people are affected and 81% saying those with buggies or small children.

In February this year, the fixed-charge penalties for those who park on footpaths, cycle lanes and bus lanes (including bus stops) were doubled from €40 to €80, meaning those who wrongly occupy bus stops could also face fines from Gardaí or their local traffic warden.

Commenting today, Allen Parker, Chief Customer Officer of Bus Éireann said: "With our ‘Keep it Clear’ campaign we are trying to raise awareness among motorists that occupying bus stops has significant impacts on public transport.

"We are proud that 100% of our vehicles on city and town services are fully accessible for all customers but if the bus stop is already occupied by a car or van wrongly parked, it makes it impossible for our vehicles to pull in and safely allow passengers with disabilities and limited mobility to get on and off the bus.

"We know from our 1,700 drivers that this activity is a daily occurrence all over the country and causes difficulties for wheelchair users, older people, those with buggies and small children. Illegal parking also causes delays which results in buses running late and it can cause significant local traffic congestion. Through this campaign, we are encouraging motorists to be more considerate of public transport users when deciding where they pull in."

Commenting, Anne Graham, CEO, National Transport Authority (NTA) said: "We are happy to partner with Bus Éireann on the ‘Keep it Clear campaign’ and to reassert our commitment to a public transport network that is accessible for all.

"The NTA has invested significantly in accessibility and all city and town bus services have ramps for safe embarking and disembarking and dedicated wheelchair spaces for customers. We are working every day to remove the barriers which exist for people to access public transport by providing accessible vehicles and investing in accessible infrastructure. We would like to remind motorists as part of this campaign that pulling into a bus stop for any reason is not just illegal but also anti-social."