People Before Profit Galway representative Adrian Curran has slammed the cancellation of the Bus Éireann 20 and X20 expressway routes between Galway and Dublin, demanding that the government act to immediately reverse this disastrous decision.
Adrian Curran said:
“The cancellation of the Bus Éireann 20 and X20 expressway routes between Galway and Dublin further demonstrates how public transport in Galway has been decimated on Eamon Ryan’s watch. Last year Knocknacarra was left without public transport for six months when private operator City Direct suspended four routes. In May, six buses between Galway and Gort were cancelled, only one of which has since been reinstated. Now the Bus Éireann 20 and X20 expressway routes are being axed, impacting commuters in Galway, Craughwell, Loughrea, Aughrim and Ballinasloe who rely on these services for commuting to work or college, attending hospital appointments, and other vital journeys. This is a continuation of the gradual erosion of these routes in recent years, with the stops in Oranmore, Kilrickle and Creagh being closed in 2018.”
“Bus Éireann’s statement on the cuts asserts the services are being axed based on losses on the route in 2020, a time when regular commuters understandably cut back on using public transport during Covid-19. This is typical of the government’s myopic neo-liberal outlook which has seen other crucial public services, such as rural post offices, shut down when they are not providing a profit. These services should be acknowledged as a public good and receive the funding from the state they need to serve people along the route.”
“The government’s policy of cutting public bus routes and leaving provision to private operators is unsustainable. The new Aircoach 706x service is not a replacement for the Bus Éireann expressway routes, as it ignores Craughwell, Loughrea and Aughrim and leaves Ballinasloe with less frequent services. Aircoach have confirmed that the Free Travel Pass will not be accepted on the 706x route, hurting pensioners and disabled people who rely on bus services. We saw the unreliability of private bus transport in Galway last year when City Direct, Bus Feda and Citylink suspended services as private operators did not see it as profitable to run with limited capacities.”
“The cancellation of expressway services underlines that the government is not taking the climate crisis seriously. This move will serve to increase carbon emissions as many people will now have no option but to rely on private cars due to inadequate public transport in Co Galway. The government should instead respond to the climate emergency by investing in free, frequent and fast public transport to improve connectivity for towns and rural areas, reduce emissions, cut journey times, reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.”
