Project to speed up bus service

A FREE-FLOW style pilot project to speed up the bus service on two of Cork city’s busiest routes will be launched tomorrow.

Extra buses will be introduced on the number six and eight routes during peak hours on Wednesdays only, throughout the month of November.

Extra gardaí will be on duty along the routes between 7.30am and 9.30am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm to ensure free-flow of traffic.

It is hoped the Bus Wednesday initiative will encourage more people to use public transport.

The number six links the suburb of Grange to the South Mall in the city centre. The number eight runs from Bishopstown, passing close to the Cork Institute of Technology, Cork University Hospital, UCC, and through the city centre to Mayfield.

Journey times on the number eight from Bishopstown to the city average 40 minutes. It is hoped that the project will slash 10 minutes off that time. The Bus Éireann initiative is being run in conjunction with Cork City Council, the gardaí and the Cork Business Association.

It will continue on November 12, 19 and 26.

“This pilot is designed to show Cork city commuters the benefits of travelling by bus not only in terms of speed and convenience, but also how economical it can be compared to driving to work and the costs involved in paying for petrol or diesel and parking,” Bus Éireann regional manager, Joe Fitzgerald, said.

Bus Éireann is offering a Cork City Daysaver ticket, offering unlimited travel on all Cork city routes for €4.