Rural bus service for pensioners under threat

A VITAL rural transport service which offers a “lifeline” to thousands of pensioners is facing major cutbacks because the Government has failed to increase its €3 million budget for next year, drivers warned yesterday.

Thirty-four drivers operate the service in remote rural areas for pensioners who have no other form of public transport.

The e3m allocated by the Department of Transport to the Rural Transport Initiative Project in the Estimates for next year is just not enough, said driver, Chris Long.

“This is the same amount of money that was given to us last year and it does not take into account inflation and increased petrol costs; it is actually a cut in real terms,” he said.

Mr Long, who runs the rural bus service in Co Limerick and North Cork, said drivers nationwide will have no option but to cut back on some services if the budget is not increased.

The rural bus drivers in Mr Long’s region have made 16,000 passenger journeys so far this year. “But the demand is huge and a lot more people need the service - they should be expanding it instead of bringing in effective cutbacks,” Mr Long told RTÉ.

This pilot scheme was introduced two years ago to provide a service for thousands of pensioners who could not use their free travel pass because there was no public transport in their areas.

Another bus driver, John Maguire, who operates the pilot service in Longford, believes the Government must ensure that these pensioners will still be able to continue using their free travel pass.

“It is a social service and a lifeline for many after the closure of local shops and post offices in their areas,” he said.

One of Mr Maguire’s passengers, Molly, said the service has been an “absolute Godsend” to her.

The 82-year-old Longford woman told the Joe Duffy Show that she lives alone and she has been delighted with the lifeline the service has given her and her 12 fellow passengers.

But the Department of Transport rejected claims by bus drivers that there will be any cutback in services.

“There has been no cut in the budget for next year and we can see no evidence that it will lead to cuts in this essential service,” the Department spokesman said.

Transport Minister Martin Cullen decided to extend this pilot project for another two years because he believed it was an essential service for thousands of pensioners.

“Initially only €4.4 million was allocated to this scheme over a four year period but the Minister has decided to increase that to €3 million a year,” said his spokesman.