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Further blow to commuters with 2nd round of savage Bus Eireann cutbacks

Issued : Wednesday 10 March, 2010

News today from Bus Eireann that they will have to implement a second round of savage cuts due to government public transport cutbacks will come as a devastating blow to bus commuters around Ireland.

In January, Bus Eireann had to withdraw eight services and significantly reduce the frequency on 22 routes. Now a second round of cutbacks which include the axing of another route and the slashing of the service frequency on a further 18 routes will come into force on March 28th next.

Bus Eireann have now confirmed that the number 70 Galway to Athlone will be completely withdrawn. Other services to be seriously reduced include Cork City Route 12 (Glenthorn via the Glen to Merchants Quay); Cork City Route 5A (Merchants Quay –Blackpool - Mallow Road); Cork City Route 19 (Mahon – Douglas – Ballyphehane – Togher – Bishopstown); 462/463/464/465/467 local routes serving Sligo, Enniskillen and Cavan; Route 23 Sligo-Dublin; Route 7 Cork –Clonmel-Kilkenny; Route 343 Limerick-Shannon; Route 308 Caherdavin-University of Limerick; Route 274 Tralee-Ballybunion; Route 284 Tralee-Killarney; Route 115 / 118 Mullingar-Ballivor-Dublin; Route 132 Tullow-Dublin and Route 163 Drogheda-Donore-Newgrange.

Bus Eireann network and services are being decimated by the Fianna Fail/Green government. Incredibly, up to 100 routes in total may be at risk in further rounds of cutbacks. A further reduction in services will have a particularly devastating effect on rural communities and seniors and other vulnerable citizens who are totally dependent on the local bus service.

Undoubtedly, Bus Eireann’s revenue has suffered due to the 10% drop in customer numbers in 2009. But Fianna Fail and the Greens have also slashed funding for public transport services by as much as €27 million. This occurred even though the government commissioned Deloitte and Touche Bus Review in effect gave Bus Eireann a clean bill of health and described the company as "largely efficient" with "limited" scope for "significant cost savings."