Bus stopped in ‘save our route’ protest

RESIDENTS fighting to save their bus service blocked and boarded a rush-hour bus last night.

Up to 80 people from the Glen and Dublin Hill areas of Cork blockaded the 5.25pm bus on the No 12 route through Glenthorn Estate near Blackpool for about 20 minutes.

They then got on board and staged a peaceful protest on the bus before applauding the driver, disembarking and letting him drive on.

It was the third major protest staged by residents in the last two months as part of their campaign to get Bus Éireann to reverse its decision to axe the service.

The No 12 is one of two major northside routes under threat because of the company’s cost-cutting measures.

The axe was due to fall on Friday on the No 12, which serves the Glen and Blackpool, and the No 1 northern orbital service, linking the northside to the southside.

But it is understood no deal has as yet been agreed between management and the bus driver unions – SIPTU and the NBRU – and the services will continue unchanged into next week at least.

Socialist Party councillor Mick Barry, who helped organise the protest, said the group is hoping to secure meetings with the two unions in the coming days.

“The threat to these services is as real as it ever was and we hope to get co-operation between the workers and the residents to defend services and jobs,” he said.

The two northside routes are among several city and county routes being cut or curtailed as part of the cost-cutting measures Bus Éireann says are essential. The company has also outlined proposals to cut all services after 7pm on the: No 3 Ballyphehane to Farranree route; No 6 Grange to South Mall route; No 10 Mahon Point to Glasheen route; No 14 St Patrick’s Street to CUH route; and No 16 South Mall to Mount Oval route. There are also plans to curtail or reduce the frequency of services after 7pm on the: No 2 Knocknaheeny to Mahon route; No 5 Merchant’s Quay to Mallow Road route; No 7 Donnybrook to Ballyvolane route; and No 8 Mayfield to Bishopstown route.

Bus Éireann is facing a projected €30 million deficit and a 10% falloff in passenger numbers and said it cannot make major cost savings without reducing services.

It says routes with low levels of customer support are being targeted first by the company.