[PR] Bus Éireann's Cuts Make a Mockery of Government's Sustainable Transport Vision

Victor

http://www.irishrurallink.ie/Publications/19.06.09%20IRL%20Press%20Release.doc

Irish Rural Link Press Release for immediate release

Bus Éireann’s Relentless Cuts Make a Mockery of Government’s Sustainable Transport Vision

19th June 2009

Irish Rural Link (IRL) - the national organisation campaigning for sustainable rural communities - today expressed anger at reports that Bus Éireann are implementing further route cuts meaning 99 routes across the country are being totally withdrawn or drastically reduced, leaving large rural areas with no service. This second phase of routes cuts affects 47 routes on top of the 52 which were revealed last month.

Irish Rural Link Policy and Communications Officer Seán O’Leary said “This week it was revealed that the Government cannot find half a million euro to continue funding an evening rural public transport scheme its own review says is delivering a vital service and value for money, yet the Government continues to pay a €30 million subsidy to Bus Éireann who appear to have abandoned their public service obligation. The demand for public transport in rural Ireland was never met by Bus Éireann during the Celtic Tiger years and now they are isolating rural communities as well as abandoning towns across the country. The criteria used to justify these cuts needs to be made public. The value of spending huge sums of money on new buses and ‘Smarter Travel’ strategies while sacrificing routes across the country has to be questioned.”

“Bus Éireann’s actions demonstrate the continued salami slicing of rural services which the Government appears happy to allow continue. The public transport needs of rural people are not being reflected in Government policy. While one area of Government wishes to reduce carbon emissions, and one seeks to address rural isolation and promote regional connectivity, another is allowing Bus Éireann dismantle an already inadequate public transport system. A national sustainable rural transport policy is needed urgently and we have requested a meeting with the Minister for Transport to advance this before further cutbacks are implemented” Mr. O’Leary continued.

“The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) has described the plan as “frightening” with routes servicing rural areas and carrying large numbers of schoolchildren particularly affected. Last year the cost of school transport doubled for some families and now they find that they may have no bus to school next term at all. Third level students and tourism will all be hit. Many people in rural areas who qualify for free public transport, such as pensioners and people with disabilities, have in practice no way of availing of this benefit as public transport options are already so limited in their local area” Mr. O’Leary concluded.

-Ends-


Notes for Editors:

The article appeared in the Irish Independent http://www.independent.ie/national-news/commuters-to-suffer-as-bus-eireann-cuts-back-on-99-routes-1779445.html a list of the routes affected taken from that article is attached.

Details of the evening transport service funding cut are below

Routes Affected taken from “Commuters will suffer as 99 Bus Eireann Routes Face Cuts in €30m Cost Saving Plan”, Irish Independent, Friday 19th June 2009 by Anne-Marie Walsh

Waterford
Ardmore-Ring-Oldparish (Fri/Sat all year round and Mon to Sat, July and August), withdrawn,

366 Dungarvan-Fermoy-Mallow (Mon, Thurs, Sat) withdrawn

377/383/386 Wexford local services, withdrawn

73 Waterford-Athlone and return, no service except Fri and Sun

Waterford City, no services after 7pm

Cork
230/231 Ballingeary withdrawn

234 Stuake, withdrawn

251 Skibbereen-Baltimore, withdrawn

212 Glenthorn-Cork City, withdrawn.

201 Northern Orbital, withdrawn

242 Mallow-Churchtown-Doneraile, withdrawn

71 Cork-Athlone, withdrawn

Cork City services, 3/6/7/10/14, no services after 7pm

Limerick
358 Miltown Malbay-Ennis, withdrawn

72 Limerick-Athlone, withdrawn

314 Limerick-Glin, reduced 50%

329 Limerick-Kilfinane, reduced 50%

Limerick City, reduced, 302/304/308, no services after 7pm

Tralee
272 reduced

274 Ballybunion-Ballyheigue, withdrawn

275 Tralee-Dingle, reduced
Galway
416 Galway-Carna, withdrawn

427 Eyrecourt-Portumna-Galway, withdrawn

424 Galway-Carraroe, reduced by 50%

419 Galway-Clifden, Thurs and Sat, cancelled

418 Galway-Athenry, reduced by 50%

431 No Saturday Service

Galway City Service, reduced

Athlone
21 Westport-Athlone, withdrawn on Sundays.

73 Athlone – Waterford, withdrawn

461 Athlone – Sligom withdrawn

Navan-Athlone, Withdrawn

Athlone Town service, withdrawn

Donegal: Service curtailed
Sligo town service, cancelled
Knock airport shuttle, cancelled

22 Dublin- Ballina, reduced

Drogheda
163 Drogheda-Donore, withdrawn

173 Drogheda, withdrawn

186/189 Togher, withdrawn

Drogheda Town, reduced 50%

Dundalk
168 Dundalk –Annagassan, withdrawn

65 Cavan-Athlone, withdrawn

179 Cavan-Ballyjamesduff (Tues only), withdrawn

162/164 Monaghan- Clones-Ballybay, withdrawn

175/176 Cavan-Cootehill-Monaghan, withdrawn.

Dundalk Town Service, reduced 50%

Broadstone
19/122 Dublin-Portumna, withdrawn

102 Dublin-Ardcath, withdrawn

133 Glenealy-Rathdrum-Avoca, withdrawn

132/5 Dublin-Baltinglass-Tullow-Bunclody, withdrawn

Navan Town Service, withdrawn

Victor

Has there been any update on what changes are being put in place?

T Corolla

I think removing the town services is a big mistake. I was always under the impression that the Athlone town service was popular. I think we need to bring in a private contractor to take over towns like Athlone,Dundalk,Navan and see can they make a go of it.

KC61

Victor wrote: »

Has there been any update on what changes are being put in place?

None as yet Victor - Still at the talks table with the trade unions.

AlekSmart

I think removing the town services is a big mistake. I was always under the impression that the Athlone town service was popular. I think we need to bring in a private contractor to take over towns like Athlone,Dundalk,Navan and see can they make a go of it.

Too bloody right it`s a big mistake.

Its an indicator of just how big when one notes the recent wall of silence from the relevant Minister who was all too recently to be found on front-pages everywhere smiling down from a new-eco friendly bus or sitting astride a unicycle.

Now he`s gone to earth,probably due to being busy divining new and devious means to convert a few more Royal County botharín`s into Motorways so that a well placed "Consortium" can secure a 30 year Toll Franchise on them.

T Corolla`s point about bringing in the "Private Lad" to "see if he can make a go" of the current threatened BÉ Town Services simply underlines all that is wrong in how we structure such things.

In the more civilized corners of the "Real" Europe such Towns would have had a comprehensive service in place for decades,usually funded through the Local or Regional Authority and with rigid operational standards.

In these far flung corners of civilization the notion of "seeing if somebody can make a go" of a commune`s Public Transport services would get one committed or "ran out of Town".....but not here ....no sir...here on this mystic Isle there are no systems,no underpinning,no funding...just lads "trying to make a go of it"......rather a good description for present Government Policy really.... :mad:

bodhrandude

Bus Éireann getting you there..... Eeeeeeeeeeeeventually!

SeanW

bloody hell, I just used the 72 yesterday :eek: These cuts look pretty severe.

munchkin_utd

I find it surprising that the 65
(Belfast - Monaghan) - Cavan - Athlone - (Galway)
is down to be cut.

If that goes along with the other cuts in the midlands further south you have basicly NO cross country services any more. Any journey to the west will require a diversion EAST to Dublin first!

Agh well, heres to an even more car dependent society then so!

Zoney

The large amount of services to/from Athlone being withdrawn is quite phenomenal. Surely people there are up in arms about this? Notice how many of the withdrawn services to/from Athlone are listed under the other destination (presumably so the list for Athlone is not as obviously long).

And yes, this pretty much means no cross-country services.