Bus Éireann fares disputed by Cork county councillors seeking clarification

The National Transport Authority (NTA) has contradicted claims made by Bus Éireann that it needs approval from the NTA to lower fares in Cork.

Angry county councillors are seeking clarification from both parties after they contradicted each other within a matter of days.

At a recent meeting of the East Cork Municipal District Council, councillors were told by Bus Éireann services manager Tim O’Leary that they couldn’t do anything about a huge discrepancy which existed on fares from Dungarvan to Cork and from Youghal and Midleton to Cork.

He said Bus Éireann was offering a promotional fare on the Dungarvan-Cork route, which it was allowed to do. But he added that the company couldn’t reduce the fares in the East Cork towns because it was NTA that set them.

The adult daily return fare from Dungarvan to Cork (75kms) costs €9.50. The same fare from Youghal to Cork (48kms) costs €19.

The fare from Killeagh to Cork is €18.04, Castlemartyr is €15.10 and Midleton €11.40.

Cllr James O’Connor had asked Deputy Marc MacSherry to raise the issue in the Dáil when the chief executive of the NTA, Anne Graham, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee.

She told Mr MacSherry that pricing on the Cork- Dungarvan route was “exclusively” up to Bus Éireann.

The fallout out from this was discussed at a full county council meeting in County Hall when it was brought up by Cllr O’Connor.

He said he had asked Mr MacSherry to bring up the matter at the Public Accounts Committee because he hadn’t been satisfied by the answer he received from the senior Bus Éireann official at the East Cork Municipal District Council meeting.

“The information provided at the Public Accounts Committee directly contradicts what councillors were told at that meeting,” Cllr O’Connor said.

“The Cork commuters on this route are being fleeced,” he added.

Cllr Susan McCarthy said there are huge anomalies in the fares on the route.

The meeting was also told there were serious anomalies in Irish Rail fares on the Cork-Midleton line which need investigating.

Councillors decided to write to both Bus Éireann and the NTA to seek further clarification on the matter.