THREE DUBLIN BUS routes will be amended from next weekend after outcry from locals over a previous change in October.

The changes will come in next Sunday, 8 February, primarily affecting Finglas and Chapelizod.

The changes to routes 80, 23 and 24 were announced before Christmas after local complaints following the October launch of Phase 7 of BusConnects.

Phase 7 of BusConnects, a National Transport Authority programme to improve bus services in Irish cities, included the introduction of a 24-hour radial route in 80 and radial routes 23, 24, 73, among several others.

The NTA said the 80, 23, and 24 services “have experienced ongoing reliability issues, primarily due to high levels of traffic congestion on new city centre alignments, alongside wider driver availability constraints”.

There were a number of protests held by residents in west and north Dublin after the previous change in services, and the matter was raised in the Seanad.

Routes 23 and 24 currently operate via Bridge Street, High Street, and Christchurch. Both routes will now operate along the Quays, crossing the Liffey at O’Connell Bridge, before continuing past Trinity College to their existing terminus at Merrion Square.

This change is due to “unpredictable traffic” along the current route in recent months, the NTA said.

Route 80 currently operates between Liffey Valley and the south of the city via Chapelizod, and through the city centre via the Quays, Bridge street, High Street, and South Great George’s Street.

From 8 February, this route will operate on an interim basis along the existing route 80 alignment as far as Bridge Street, then divert to continue along the Quays to O’Connell Bridge, College Green, and Dame Street, then onto South Great George’s street to continue on its current alignment to Palmerstown Park.

The NTA said that “at a later date but before the planned closure of Dame Street between College Green and South Great George’s Street, which is required to facilitate Dublin City Council’s College Green Pedestrian Plaza scheme, the temporary rerouting will be removed.”

Once this happens, routes 80 and 130 will be brought together to form a single cross‑city service.

“The new combined route will operate along the north and south quays between Liffey Valley and Clontarf, providing a continuous link between Heuston Station O’Connell Bridge and the Custom House.”

It is currently expected that the combined Route 80 and Route 130 service will be introduced in 2027.