Pubs start shuttling to save business

MANDATORY breath testing has forced one Cork publican to offer free transport to his customers seven days a week and many more are considering the option in an effort to save business.

Barry O’Driscoll, whose family run the Blackrock Inn off Skehard Road, Blackrock, is spending around €400 a week on a shuttle service, which runs each day from 4pm to closing time.

He purchased a seven- seater Opel Zafira and all his staff over the age of 25 are insured to drive it.

“The bottom line is, the reason I did this was to keep my turnover. I believe that otherwise, especially during the wet winter months, I’d be dropping about €3,000 a week,” Mr O’Driscoll said.

Because of the fear of arrest, a lot of drivers started walking to his pub. But on wet evenings they would not come out.

Mr O’Driscoll operates the recently introduced service to cover a two-mile radius, taking in Ballinlough, Blackrock and Mahon.

Indeed, the service is so successful that he’s getting customers that he never had before. On Saturday nights, punters have to book pick-up and drop-off times because it has become so popular.

“This service is staying forever as far as I’m concerned, and I’d recommend it to other publicans who live in the city suburbs or the countryside,” he said.

Another publican, Tony Horgan, is using a 20-seater bus to shuttle customers to and from his pub near Donoughmore, Blarney.

He charges €5 for a return trip and operates the service within a two-and-a-half mile radius from Thursdays to Sundays.

“A pub near me closed last weekend because of lack of business. It was a foregone conclusion in the past that one could drink and drive in the country, but that’s not the case now,” Mr Horgan said.

He said the shuttle service has probably saved his pub trade.

“People will either have to get out of the business or change with the times, especially if they are in a country area,” Mr Horgan said.

Garda regional traffic corps inspector Billy Duane said he welcomed any initiative to curtail people drinking and driving.

“I’d like to see a lot more of it. It’s heartening to some extent that the message is being taken on board,” Insp Duane said.

However, he added that publicans offering a fee- paying service would have to ensure that their carrier is fully licensed.