Buses in Ireland should be allowed to have priority when leaving bus-stops, and not have to depend on the generosity of motorists, Connacht-Ulster MEP Jim Higgins said last evening.
Mr Higgins, Ireland's member of the European Transport Committee has written to the Minister for Transport calling on him to make a change to the rules of the road, so that buses can be given full priority when leaving bus stops.
"We are one of the few countries left whereby buses do not have automatic priority over cars when leaving a bus stop.
“A bus might be carrying 90 people, but not be able to pull out for some time. When this process is repeated at every stop, a significant amount of time is added to the bus passenger's journey."
The MEP would like Minister Leo Varadkar to introduce a law similar to the Highway Code in England and Wales where here the law obliges motorists to let buses out into traffic when it is safe to do so.
He concluded that this change would lead to a more efficient bus services for those choosing public transport, and would be of no cost to the State.
