Anger and outcry over axing of bus routes

Bus Éireann's announcement that it will be cutting its Dublin-Roscrea-Nenagh-Limerick Expressway service next year has met with local outcry.

The company announced on Monday that it will discontinue Expressway services between the capital and Galway, Limerick and Cork when the emergency supports for these routes expire, which is expected to happen in early 2021. Bus Éireann expects to make losses of up to €20 million over the next three years. It is understood that the decision to end these three services, which the board says are losing money, was taken to protect the remaining 14 national routes and meet demand required on other city and commuter services.

Nenagh man Gerry Coffey, who regularly uses Bus Éireann's X12 Dublin-Limerick service, said the situation “should not be allowed to happen”.

“For me, living in Nenagh, using the X12 route, this is unforgivable,” Mr Coffey said. “Without a proper transport connection, I and other residents are now going to be robbed of what has been a diminished service. What good is free travel to me and other citizens in the Mid West?”

 

‘ANTI-DEMOCRATIC’

Writing to local representatives, Mr Coffey claimed “too many people are losing their rights to travel by stealth” and he called for Green Party leader and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to intervene in the situation.

“This decision is anti-democratic and must be stopped right now, Eamon Ryan; it's not just bicycles we need, we need proper public transport as well.”

Nenagh's Sinn Féin area representative Damian O'Donoghue expressed his concern at the local impact of Bus Éireann's decision to drop the X12 service. “This service is used daily by so many people from the Nenagh area and it is a huge blow to have it cancelled,” he said. “I am calling on politicians from the area to do everything they can to protect this bus route.

“This service has also been essential over the past few months as it was the only service operating earlier in the year. People in Nenagh have needed the service to get to work in Limerick, often to jobs in Limerick hospital. It is also used by many to get to Limerick and Dublin for days out and to go shopping.

“I will be writing to Bus Éireann to address these concerns and appeal for a rethink on the decision. Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan needs to act on this also. Bus routes closing will mean more cars on the road, which will not help our environmental efforts.

“Finally, by limiting people's ability to travel, it adds to the isolation that rural communities have been experiencing," Mr O'Donoghue stated. “This decision must be reversed immediately.”

Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill also hit out at the situation and called for Bus Éireann “to provide a full explanation as to how routes that should be highly lucrative are being abandoned by the public transport provider”.

 

INCREASED PRESSURE ON TRANSPORT INDUSTRY

“I am extremely unhappy with today’s announcement that these routes will no longer be operational,” Deputy Cahill said on Monday. “They provide a vital public transport service to many people in Tipperary. The X12 Limerick-Dublin route serves the Nenagh and Roscrea areas and the X8 Cork-Dublin route services Cahir and Cashel.”

Deputy Cahill acknowledged that the Covid-19 restrictions have put increased pressure on the transport industry, but he said the Expressway service is needed now and into the future.

“At a time when we should be investing in and increasing our public transportation services to tackle our carbon emissions, this is a major step backwards for rural Ireland,” he said.

“CIÉ received €11.3 million from the taxpayer in July for school transportation services to assist with additional costs arising out of the Covid pandemic. The service many parts of the county has received in respect of this has been less than satisfactory, to put it mildly. Now we have today’s announcement on top of it all.

“The people of Tipperary and rural Ireland deserve better than this,” Deputy Cahill concluded.