Concern over reports of delays and ‘ghost buses’ on this Kildare bus route

A TD for Kildare South has expressed concerns over reports of delays and "ghost buses" on one County Kildare bus route.

The concerns, which come from Sinn Féin representative Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, concern the 125 route between Newbridge, Naas and UCD.

According to Deputy Ní Raghallaigh, some services have failed to appear on Real-Time Passenger Information displays.

Deputy Ní Raghallaigh explained: "I was contacted this week by a constituent whose daughter has just started college in UCD. She was at the bus stop in Newbridge for the 6.40am service, but the bus arrived nearly 20 minutes late.

"Even more frustratingly, the 125 did not appear on the Real-Time display, leaving this new student in a state of complete uncertainty.

"Eventually, she gave up waiting and took two separate buses instead of the direct service."

READ NEXT: RIP: Woman aged in her 60s killed in Kildare crash

She added: "This is unacceptable. Starting university is already stressful enough — organising classes, making new friends, managing costs — without the added worry of not knowing if the bus to college will even turn up."

"I have asked Go-Ahead Ireland, the operator of the 125, to clarify the reasons for the delay, the lack of real-time information, and to provide assurances that the issue will be addressed immediately."

Deputy Ní Raghallaigh also provided two examples of concerns passed on to her by constituents: "The return service from UCD does not continue all the way to Newbridge in the evenings, instead terminating at Toughers, forcing families to arrange evening pick-ups.

"The current route through Dublin city centre may not be the most efficient for students commuting directly to UCD."

She further said: "Reliable public transport is the least we should expect.

"In Kildare, many young people are forced to commute long distances because they are priced out of student accommodation and the private rental market due to the government’s ongoing housing failure.

"At the very least, they deserve a bus service that arrives on time and gets them to their lectures without unnecessary stress."

Concluding her statement, Deputy Ní Raghallaigh urged other passengers on the 125 and other routes to come forward with their experiences, "so that continued pressure can be applied to improve services".

Last week, Deputy Ní Raghallaigh made headlines when she announced that she would board a flotilla carrying aid which was bound for Gaza.

Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh, TD for Kildare South (Sinn Féin)

READ NEXT: PHOTOS: Kildare man runs 15K for charity