Bus service to city’s oldest and most populated suburbs under threat

THE bus service to some of Cork city’s oldest and most populated suburbs — one of which includes a major Cope Foundation centre — is under threat.

Bus Éireann confirmed yesterday that it is looking at a range of options which could affect the number 10 bus route through Glasheen on the west of the city.

The company is examining the feasibility of taking the bus through the grounds of Cork University Hospital (CUH), where a €75 million maternity unit is due to open on Saturday.

But if this goes ahead, the company would either reduce the level of the number 10’s service, or pull the service entirely from the nearby Clashduv Road, and the Riverview, Sandymount and Summerstown estates, to facilitate the proposed hospital route.

Bus Éireann’s area manager Joe Fitzgerald said no decision has been taken yet on the future service and that several options are still at the consultation phase.

But he confirmed that axing the service from these areas, or reducing the level of service, are among the options.

“We are looking at three options,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

“One is to leave the route as it is. Another is to take the number 10 bus through the grounds of the hospital.

“And if this goes ahead, we’ll look at the service through the Glasheen area.”

But he stressed that it could take several weeks before a final decision is made.

Several residents living in the areas, including many elderly, use the bus on a daily basis.

The Cope Foundation has a major centre based in Sandymount offering a range of services for adults with intellectual disabilities.

The Brian Bermingham Adult Day Service facility is being extensively upgraded and refurbished.

Dozens of its clients also use the number 10 bus service daily to get to and from the centre.

Local Fine Gael Councillor and Dáil election candidate, Jerry Buttimer, said several residents have expressed concerns to him about the threat to the service.

“There should be no reduction in this service,” he said. “We should be encouraging people to use public transport, not discouraging them.”

He called on Bus Éireann to take this into account when making any decision on the future of the route.

The number 14 bus route includes a run around CUH’s campus. The number 8, and numbers 1 and 19 routes, also operate from outside the hospital gates.

According to CIÉ’s 2005 annual report, the State transport group increased its surplus by 32.3% to €25.8m in 2004 after a 5.8% rise in the Government subvention to €283.4m.

Figures also showed that the number of people taking Bus Éireann journeys rose to 92.6m from 90.2m.