Aircoach Dublin-Cork express

bk · 03-04-2012 10:12am

SandyfordGuy wrote: »

Some answers for you all (based on confirmed information from Aircoach)

Thanks for the info.

SandyfordGuy wrote: »

Toilets:
If a passenger requires a toilet break, the driver will be happy to stop in Urlingford or elsewhere if necessary, for example a petrol station.

Really not attractive to most people, will mean the bus will be late.

If GoBus launch with toilets, I predict it will be far more popular. I know all my Corkonian friends living in Dublin say the same, they want onboard toilets.

SandyfordGuy wrote: »

Online Booking:
The online booking system is being updated and fares for the express service should be able to be booked online very soon. Until then you should buy your ticket from the driver as normal - the price is the same as buying online.

Timetable News:
Phase 2 of the New Cork Express service will see a further big increase in the number of Express services. This will be launching in the quite near future. No dates confirmed as yet, but likely to relate to recruitment as they still are advertising for extra staff.

Great news that the service will expand further. From the two pieces of info above, I guess they rushed to launch this service before GoBus launches their service. To get some publicity.

devnull · 03-04-2012 1:09pm

Obviously the main aim was to beat Gobus.ie to the launch with this service, hence why the online booking and all the services are not ready. They were able to react quite quickly after getting the licenses as I would say some of the Dublin based duties will be worked by staff freed up from service cuts on other routes at the start of March.

However the Cork based duties that they want to bring it would be harder to staff so I would say so I would imagine a lot of the second phase would involve mostly new duties by Cork based staff which they are recruiting for now.

dowlingm · 03-04-2012 1:55pm

What's the ownership behind Gobus and Citylink? Do they have the cash to match an expansion drive by First/Aircoach given the tight lending environment in Ireland at present?

devnull · 03-04-2012 2:57pm

dowlingm wrote: »

What's the ownership behind Gobus and Citylink? Do they have the cash to match an expansion drive by First/Aircoach given the tight lending environment in Ireland at present?

Citylink are owned by a large multi-national group, ComfortDelGiro who outsource the operation of their services to Galway based Calinan coaches. GoBus are headed up by Jim Burke who ironically previously founded Citylink in Ireland before they were sold up. Even more ironically, the current Aircoach boss is a previous managing director of Citylink. GoBus service is run in partnership with Bernard Kavanagh, who they lease a number of coaches from.

First's share price has gone through the floor in recent weeks and they need to raise £100m by selling parts of their business off. They've already sold off part of the operations in London, full operations in North Devon and Kings Lynn in the UK along with selling off their German company as well as pulling out of a joint rail contract in Scandinavia. They've also pulled out of Bury St Edmunds and only yesterday announced they are cutting 250 jobs in East Scotland and closing many routes. I wouldn't be sure that Aircoach's future and current ownership is that secure based on that so they may not be as powerful as you think.

highlydebased · 03-04-2012 3:04pm

I wonder is there an intent of any operator (gobus/citylink/aircoach) to start a Limerick express- Dublin Coach are doing pretty well from their new express service...particularly from UL.

AlekSmart · 03-04-2012 9:45pm

devnull wrote: »

First are going through a tough time in the UK right now and are having to sell of numerous parts of their bus empire to meet their financial targets, they certainly do not have such deep pockets as they did before which has seen their share price going flying in the wrong direction. So I wouldn't expect mass investment, especially when Aircoach was apparently loss making in their last accounts.

Saying that I'm sure Aircoach themselves have some reserves and a little investment from First is likely.

FirstGroup are paying a heavy price for some very poor management acumen in it's recent past.

The Company's operations in the Uk have consistently figured in the press regarding poor performance and also questionable maintenance and operational attitudes.

Some high-level managerial resignations,retirements and attendant shuffling failed to produce a Management Team with a clearly defined purpose.

It would not surprise me if in the near future FirstGroup decided to disengage from the Irish Public Transport sector,thus leaving Aircoach open to accquisition (or RE-accquisition

)

Aircoach is currently under the stewardship of a Manager whose time is divided between Dublin and Bristol,with the Irish operation meriting the lesser part of the working week.

devnull · 03-04-2012 11:00pm

AlekSmart wrote: »

It would not surprise me if in the near future FirstGroup decided to disengage from the Irish Public Transport sector,thus leaving Aircoach open to accquisition (or RE-accquisition )

Aircoach is currently under the stewardship of a Manager whose time is divided between Dublin and Bristol,with the Irish operation meriting the lesser part of the working week

Ahh Alek, do you have some inside information you wish to share :pac:

Although I do agree with your sentiments - it would be slightly amusing if everything did end up back with Dublin Coach again, it would be a full circle! I did read that the Aircoach MD was appointed to a second role, which struck me as kind of odd, considering he went from Aircoach only to having a dual role rather than the other way around.

That would give me the impression, to a degree that perhaps there could be some movement regarding ownership in the future, with First trying to keep some of their prized managers "in-house" post sale, by assigning them to other roles elsewhere in the business.

AlekSmart · 04-04-2012 6:32am

devnull wrote: »

Although I do agree with your sentiments - it would be slightly amusing if everything did end up back with Dublin Coach again, it would be a full circle! I did read that the Aircoach MD was appointed to a second role, which struck me as kind of odd, considering he went from Aircoach only to having a dual role rather than the other way around.

That would give me the impression, to a degree that perhaps there could be some movement regarding ownership in the future, with First trying to keep some of their prized managers "in-house" post sale, by assigning them to other roles elsewhere in the business.

It might be "odd" for sure,but it's not unheard of in the industry right now.

Perhaps the biggest n best example being Stagecoach plc's departure from the London scene some years ago,followed by their subsequent re-accquisition of the exact same business (for a song)

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f870d5e6-d839-11df-a7b4-00144feabdc0.html

Sell for £264 Million.....re-accquire for £53 Million...Happy Daze I should think ?

Some historical coverage here ....including a pat on the back for the bank formerly known as Anglo-Irish Bank ...:D

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/firstgroup-deal-is-a-new-departure-for-busy-aircoach-195442.html

Slugs · 04-04-2012 6:34pm

highlydebased wrote: »

I wonder is there an intent of any operator (gobus/citylink/aircoach) to start a Limerick express- Dublin Coach are doing pretty well from their new express service...particularly from UL.

Was wondering that myself. I know bus eir have an express from galway to limerick, but not lim to cork. Do any operators run express or late night services cork to limerick?

LXFlyer · 04-04-2012 6:53pm

Both Bus Eireann and Citylink operate express services between Limerick and Cork. Neither operate non-stop services however - there is no motorway between the two cities.

highlydebased · 04-04-2012 7:22pm

Slugs wrote: »

Was wondering that myself. I know bus eir have an express from galway to limerick, but not lim to cork. Do any operators run express or late night services cork to limerick?

Cant really do an express when there's no motorway

devnull · 06-04-2012 7:03am

Services can now be booked online via the website.

The express ones show up as express in the booking engine and on a return tricket you can select both express and non express journeys which also means that paper tickets are valid across both routes.

Terrontress · 06-04-2012 7:40am

Does anyone think that toilets would encourage drinkers and lead to more serious problems?

If you know you have three hours and no facilities, you will leave that six-pack of Bulmers on the shelf in the Spar.

bk · 06-04-2012 8:52am

Terrontress wrote: »

Does anyone think that toilets would encourage drinkers and lead to more serious problems?

If you know you have three hours and no facilities, you will leave that six-pack of Bulmers on the shelf in the Spar.

Doesn't seem to be an issue on the Galway services, which do have toilets. At least not that I have heard.

serfboard · 06-04-2012 11:22am

In regard to the issue of toilets, I asked Citylink previously if there was a toilet on their stopping service. I was told by them that the non-stop service has a toilet on it because it is required to by law/licence. The non-stop doesn't because it is not required to.

Using that logic, the non-stop Dublin->Cork should also have a toilet on it as well.

Kumsheen · 06-04-2012 11:30am

Anybody tried the Express service yet? Feedback?

devnull · 07-04-2012 12:31pm

Pretty punctual and on time and using the newest coaches is all I've heard, but pretty empty at the moment, which is hardly surprising when it has not been advertised anywhere by Aircoach themselves, aside from their own website and coaches.

If they don't market it they'll get hammered when GoBus.ie come out, they really should market it as quick as possible to give them an early lead else despite being the first on the scene offering such service, that advantage is only advantage if people know about it else the first they will hear will be through GoBus and they'll go there.

Aircoach's marketing is pretty poor unfortunately, and a service like this which is intercity rather than within Dublin is going to live or die by it, they advertise the Ballinteer and Dalkey route with a press release and in all the papers, but nothing in the media for this? Very odd considering you'd say this would have a bigger target audience.

dardhal · 08-04-2012 12:53am

I know this is a stupid question, I have been around the area today for checking the exact place, but where is exactly the bus stop for this service to Cork, is it at the Aircoach sign just opposite the Westin? I may need to go to Cork for a very quick visit next week, and I wouldn't like to be wandering around the place looking for the stop and risking missing the bus. Thank you.

LXFlyer · 08-04-2012 7:51am

That's exactly where the stop is.

AlekSmart · 08-04-2012 11:49am

devnull wrote: »

Aircoach's marketing is pretty poor unfortunately, and a service like this which is intercity rather than within Dublin is going to live or die by it, they advertise the Ballinteer and Dalkey route with a press release and in all the papers, but nothing in the media for this? Very odd considering you'd say this would have a bigger target audience.

With the First-Aircoach MD now in charge of both Bristol and Aircoach for the group,and only spending one day per week with us,it's only to be expected that eyes are taken off the ball.

I would not be too amazed if an announcement from First Group Corporate HQ came quite soon.

The expected bottomless-pockets of a gigantic multi-national have turned out to have substantial holes in them,and the knock on effects for a peripheral operation such as Aircoach are only to be expected.

devnull · 08-04-2012 12:07pm

As far as I know he's Service Delivery Director in Bristol, not the overall operation:
http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/bristol_bath/about_us/

mydiscworld · 10-04-2012 11:51am

Got the 6pm non stop from Cork to Dublin last night, Easter Monday.

Bus was c. 70% full. No toilet.

Made great time. Hopped off in Dublin city 2hrs 55mins later.

After that test worked out so well, I don't see myself ever getting IR again apart from at rush hour, where the bus would get caught in traffic until passed newland's cross.

bk · 10-04-2012 12:52pm

My friends got it over the weekend, 2 hours 50 minutes to Batchelors Walk from Cork.

With the train taking an average of 2 hours 47 minutes into Hueston and then the extra cost and time of getting to O'Connell St, this new bus service is excellent and will likely cause IR a lot of problems.

devnull · 10-04-2012 1:15pm

I'm surprised it was anywhere near 70% full with any marketing, that really is good news for Aircoach, although then again it was over Easter so it may not really be that reflective of normal patterns.

A friend is on the 12pm from Dublin today, they told me it is about a third full, which I guess is not too bad. This was a Scania PB Coach but it seems the other services are by Volvo coaches that can be seen on the other routes?

dowlingm · 10-04-2012 2:08pm

bk wrote: »

My friends got it over the weekend, 2 hours 50 minutes to Batchelors Walk from Cork.

With the train taking an average of 2 hours 47 minutes into Hueston and then the extra cost and time of getting to O'Connell St, this new bus service is excellent and will likely cause IR a lot of problems.

It absolutely will since IE doesn't operate a single non-stop service between Cork and Dublin in the current timetable. The most "express" services are the 1600 ex Heuston and 0615 ex Cork which stop twice for a run time of 2h30.

foggy_lad · 10-04-2012 2:34pm

bk wrote: »

My friends got it over the weekend, 2 hours 50 minutes to Batchelors Walk from Cork.

With the train taking an average of 2 hours 47 minutes into Hueston and then the extra cost and time of getting to O'Connell St, this new bus service is excellent and will likely cause IR a lot of problems.

An excellent service compared to Irish Rail!

Train takes over 3 hours at times plus journey time between either city and the respective station,

€80+ luas/bus/taxi fare for a train return ticket V €22 fares.

Booking online with Aircoach guarantees you a seat while with Irish Rail you may not even get to sit in the seat you have reserved!

SandyfordGuy · 10-04-2012 2:51pm

If you have sampled the service what did you guys think of the coaches and comfort as well as the punctuality of it? I have not sampled it myself yet personally but may do in the next few weeks.

The Numbers so far seem to be pretty good for a service that is a week old, but there is plenty to build on no doubt as word gets out, maybe an advertising campaign isn't required after all, which will no doubt leave a few of you with egg on your faces.

Also anyone suggesting First are selling up soon is pure speculation - if someone has some inside info it would be nice if they could share it, rather than coming up with pure hyperbole. The fact they are investing in such service indicates that they may not be selling up anytime soon, if they were then surely they are just throwing their own money away.

mydiscworld · 10-04-2012 3:51pm

SandyfordGuy wrote: »

If you have sampled the service what did you guys think of the coaches and comfort as well as the punctuality of it? I have not sampled it myself yet personally but may do in the next few weeks.

The Numbers so far seem to be pretty good for a service that is a week old, but there is plenty to build on no doubt as word gets out, maybe an advertising campaign isn't required after all, which will no doubt leave a few of you with egg on your faces.

My bus left bang on time. Very comfortable seats. The 70% full was mainly due to a lot of students going back to college.

coylemj · 10-04-2012 5:42pm

SandyfordGuy wrote: »

The Numbers so far seem to be pretty good for a service that is a week old, but there is plenty to build on no doubt as word gets out, maybe an advertising campaign isn't required after all, which will no doubt leave a few of you with egg on your faces.

Also anyone suggesting First are selling up soon is pure speculation - if someone has some inside info it would be nice if they could share it, rather than coming up with pure hyperbole. The fact they are investing in such service indicates that they may not be selling up anytime soon, if they were then surely they are just throwing their own money away.

+1 The last thing anyone thinking of selling Aircoach would do is start a new service which is bound to lose money until word of mouth and satisfied (repeat) customers ramp up the numbers and you're into profit.

If they were thinking of selling up they would have stopped introducing new services and they would have pared back on services that are not producing a large profit but they are not doing either of these. Irish begrudgery is clearly alive and well in this thread.

Anyone who has sampled the Aircoach service will tell you that when they start a service, they stick to it. They run more or less on time given the vagaries of Dublin traffic, the buses are clean and comfortable and anyone who gives CIE and Dublin taxis a run for their money is good news as far as I'm concerned. Long may it continue.

devnull · 10-04-2012 7:04pm

It's good to see that people are having positive experiences of the new service and it will be interesting to see how GoBus deal with the situation when they launch their own version of the same route. I still think that Aircoach could get out-marketed though which could be their downfall.

Also I wouldn't be that sure that the ownership of the company will be in FirstGroup long term, their share price is falling at a rapid rate, and has lost over a third of it's value in the last fortnight alone which is a huge fall. The company have said they need to raise €100M by selling off and closing down certain businesses within the group that do not bring in targeted revenues. With Aircoach having made a loss last year it's not unreasonable to think that they could be one of the businesses involved.

Seomra Mushie · 10-04-2012 10:58pm

Just found out about this and am VERY excited. This will make my life soooo much easier.

SandyfordGuy · 12-04-2012 9:59am

Seriously, I'm not sure any of you guys have any reason to think First are going to sell up any time soon, it's all based on speculation and little else. The share price is down but it's rebounded up a tiny bit since, and I'm sure that the issue is being dealt with internally by financial experts, who would understand far more than someone who posts on boards.ie with no qualification in this area.

It's good people are enjoying the service, and if anyone else can post their experiences here and numbers on the coaches, or if they have seen any more adverts for the service, it would be nice to get some actual evidence on what is happening on the ground rather than hyperbole which is coming from people on here.

foggy_lad · 12-04-2012 11:16am

Why would they have stopped the Belfast route if they were even considering selling up? if selling they would surely have flogged the route making it appear a roaring success which it could never be. There is just too many buses on the Belfast route already to justify them keeping the service going, this is a sign of a company looking towards their future by ensuring they are not wasteful and not duplicating services which they can just barely compete with because of the good times on the Belfast route.

devnull · 12-04-2012 5:42pm

The Belfast route was stopped in October 2010 and was not helped by two monopoly state owned operators joining together to try and make sure that nobody else could muscle in on that route which killed Aircoach passenger numbers.

Since then the financial performance of Aircoach and First as a whole has not performed as well as they would like. In the most recent accounts to March 2011 it seems they made a loss but in the previous accounts to March 2010 they made a small profit and large profits in the three previous years.

SandyfordGUy should also relax and remember this is a discussion forum where people air their views, and if he does not like that maybe boards.ie is the wrong site for him.

call the police · 13-04-2012 1:44pm

looks like they're taking cash customers only, leaving the freebies out of it

"We regret to advise that the Free Travel Pass is not accepted on the Express services". http://www.aircoach.ie/table.routes.cork.php

markpb · 13-04-2012 3:53pm

devnull wrote: »

SandyfordGUy should also relax and remember this is a discussion forum where people air their views, and if he does not like that maybe boards.ie is the wrong site for him.

I'd tend to agree with SandyfordGuy - there seems to be a small number of people on this forum who take every opportunity to attack Aircoach, discuss their apparent staffing and financial problems and predict their eventual demise. Just as people are free to discuss things here, others are just as free to question their motives when they do so (although thankfully some of them have given up and gone away so it's improved lately).

I'm not suggesting there's anything wrong with discussing Aircoach critically but the same doesn't happen for GoBus, JJ Matthews or any other operator. I'm not sure why their annual returns are less interesting and less worthy of analysis than Aircoaches.

Victor · 13-04-2012 4:15pm

devnull wrote: »

The Belfast route was stopped in October 2010 and was not helped by two monopoly state owned operators joining together to try and make sure that nobody else could muscle in on that route which killed Aircoach passenger numbers.

Is this accusation sustainable? In particular that the Bus Éireann/Ulsterbus operation was in competition with Aircoach, Enterprise and the private car?

coylemj · 13-04-2012 4:35pm

call the police wrote: »

looks like they're taking cash customers only, leaving the freebies out of it

"We regret to advise that the Free Travel Pass is not accepted on the Express services". http://www.aircoach.ie/table.routes.cork.php

Blame the IMF, same thing applies to the Aircoach service from Balinteer whch post dates the bailout.

No new bus service anywhere in the state will accept the free travel passes while the bailout lasts, it has nothing to do with Aircoach.

Anyway, the airlines don't accept free travel passes so why should the bus to the airport take them? If someone can afford to fly they can afford €7 or whatever to get to the airport.

parsi · 13-04-2012 4:41pm

call the police wrote: »

looks like they're taking cash customers only, leaving the freebies out of it

"We regret to advise that the Free Travel Pass is not accepted on the Express services". http://www.aircoach.ie/table.routes.cork.php

That will certainly increase the chances of your reserved seat being available rather than occupied by Decco going down to visit his brother in prison.

AlekSmart · 13-04-2012 9:22pm

coylemj wrote: »

Blame the IMF, same thing applies to the Aircoach service from Balinteer whch post dates the bailout.

No new bus service anywhere in the state will accept the free travel passes while the bailout lasts, it has nothing to do with Aircoach.

Anyway, the airlines don't accept free travel passes so why should the bus to the airport take them? If someone can afford to fly they can afford €7 or whatever to get to the airport.

It's actually a tad simpler coylemj,the DSP has frozen the Free Travel Scheme allocation at 2010's level.

Effectively this means that the DSP cannot fund any new entrants in the time-honoured fashion.

The DSP's decision would also have caused some upset for Dublin Bus Free Travel Scheme customers had it not reduced it's fleet by some 200 vehicles,which essentially allowed it to retain full coverage within the 2010 constraints.

It should be noted that the standard (Stage Carriage) Aircoach Cork service continues to accept the Free Travel Pass as normal.

However,the fact remains that the DSP Free Travel Scheme as currently structured,is in some considerable difficulties in relation to ongoing funding with substantial change now inevitable.

foggy_lad · 13-04-2012 11:33pm

parsi wrote: »

That will certainly increase the chances of your reserved seat being available rather than occupied by Decco going down to visit his brother in prison.

Booking your ticket online guarantees you one seat on the bus regardless of how many Deccos are travelling!

coylemj · 14-04-2012 12:25am

AlekSmart wrote: »

It's actually a tad simpler coylemj,the DSP has frozen the Free Travel Scheme allocation at 2010's level.

Effectively this means that the DSP cannot fund any new entrants in the time-honoured fashion.

It's not 'simpler' AlekSmart, the IMF says so, ergo it happens.

It's part of the bailout deal.

bk · 14-04-2012 10:45am

Free Travel Scheme people can still take the train and can even get to the airport for free using the 747.

Which is sort of ironic, it will actually cost the government more not to allow Aircoach to take the Free Travel Scheme people.

Think of it, they are subsidising €90 worth of tickets to Dublin Airport on train + 747, versus €22 on Aircoach.

Personally I think the free travel should be capped at something like €25 return. If someone wants the comfort of the train, then they can pay the difference, otherwise they can take any of the new direct bus services for free. I'd imagine that would save us taxpayers some money. Seems fair to me.

LXFlyer · 14-04-2012 11:48am

The free travel scheme does NOT cover the 747

AlekSmart · 14-04-2012 12:15pm

coylemj wrote: »

It's not 'simpler' AlekSmart, the IMF says so, ergo it happens.

It's part of the bailout deal.

Tis and tis'nt..."Chopper" and his associates from Head Office could not give a toss whether our Government actually expand the Free Travel Scheme to cover ALL public transport within the State.

Our sovereign Government remain free to allocate whatever resources they have as they see fit....however what the IMF will do,with some efficiency,is ensure that whatever agreed sum is budgeted for a particular service is adhered to.

Thus,we see the DSP,in particular,facing a potential financial meltdown as the numbers of working contributors into their Insurance based schemes falls dramatically,whilst the numbers of qualifying claimants increases equally dramatically.

The IMF will not instruct the DSP specifically to cut the Free Travel Scheme entitlement,but it will seek some very substantial evidence from the same DSP,that the overall cost of the scheme remains at the agreed level.

Our eventual outcome remains the same.......things as we knew them are about to change ....drastically !

dardhal · 14-04-2012 12:45pm

Going back to the thread primary subject, yesterday (Friday) I used the recently launched AirCoach service between Dublin City Center and Cork (and back). I can't complain at all about the service, as it seems affordable to me (22€ return) for what you get.

And what you get is pretty modern coaches (those VOLVO ones) with nice seat, three-point seatbelts, on-board WiFi, no toilet, and non-stop (see below) travel between the two ends. It must be said that the 8 am service from Dublin to Cork was used only by 8 people, while the return from Cork at 6 pm was about 50% full. We arrived in Cork at 10.45 am, while the return from Cork arrived in Dublin City Center slightly later than expected, at 9.10 pm.

And the above may be due to the fact that the return service from Cork was NOT non-stop, as the driver took a small detour from the M8 to pit stop at Urlingford for about 10 minutes, where most of the passengers took the advantage to buy some snacks and visit the gas station toilets. The fact is, shortly before, one passenger asked the driver about whether the service had any planned stops, as he seemed to be in a desperate need of a visit to the loo, but anyways most of the passengers left the bus once stopped, and the driver himself took the time to enjoy his third RedBull of the afternoon.

Anyways, a great service and very affordable, downtown to downtown, and travel times as advertised.

devnull · 14-04-2012 1:13pm

markpb wrote: »

I'd tend to agree with SandyfordGuy - there seems to be a small number of people on this forum who take every opportunity to attack Aircoach, discuss their apparent staffing and financial problems and predict their eventual demise. Just as people are free to discuss things here, others are just as free to question their motives when they do so (although thankfully some of them have given up and gone away so it's improved lately).

I'm not sure if that is a compliment towards me or not, a few weeks ago I was accused of being a shill now I'm being accused as the opposite. I think if you look at my posts, you'll see I'm nothing like those who have recently been banned or closed their accounts etc.

lxflyer wrote: »

The free travel scheme does NOT cover the 747

Is that since the route change? as I believe it was before?

dardhal wrote: »

It must be said that the 8 am service from Dublin to Cork was used only by 8 people, while the return from Cork at 6 pm was about 50% full. We arrived in Cork at 11.45 am, while the return from Cork arrived in Dublin City Center slightly later than expected, at 9.10 pm.

Which goes back to what I was saying previously, they need to market the service more as loadings are not anywhere near what they could be if more people knew about the service. The fact that 6pm would be prime time for such a route and it was only half full suggests that there is nowhere near enough demand for it at the moment. I guess you meant 10:45 on the 8am bus?

dardhal · 14-04-2012 1:25pm

devnull wrote: »

I guess you meant 10:45 on the 8am bus?

Of course, sorry for the mistake, correcting the original message at the moment.

LXFlyer · 15-04-2012 1:46am

The 747 has never been covered by the free travel scheme.

antoinolachtnai · 15-04-2012 11:30pm

AlekSmart wrote: »

Tis and tis'nt..."Chopper" and his associates from Head Office could not give a toss whether our Government actually expand the Free Travel Scheme to cover ALL public transport within the State.

Our sovereign Government remain free to allocate whatever resources they have as they see fit....however what the IMF will do,with some efficiency,is ensure that whatever agreed sum is budgeted for a particular service is adhered to.

No, they are not.

There was no fixed 'budget' for the free travel pass or the other household benefit schemes. They were demand-led and open-ended. It was agreed that the that the household benefit scheme be capped at the 2010 level.

The IMF will not instruct the DSP specifically to cut the Free Travel Scheme entitlement,but it will seek some very substantial evidence from the same DSP,that the overall cost of the scheme remains at the agreed level.

Well, it's the household benefit scheme overall. They don't really want 'substantial evidence'. They just want to know how much it cost!

The obvious way to reduce the bill without materially effecting anybody would be to take the intercity trains out of the scheme.

Aircoach Dublin-Cork express

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