Bus cuts ‘nail in coffin for rural areas’

The possibility of some bus routes being curtailed or scrapped has been described as “another nail in the coffin” of rural Ireland by campaigners.

Irish Rural Link (IRL) said the likelihood of certain Bus Éireann Expressway routes being altered or pulled increased the likelihood of people in those communities suffering from isolation.

The comments came after the Oireachtas Transport Committee heard Bus Éireann, which operates the 23 Expressway routes around the country, was now considering the future of some of the services because they are not economically viable. The company said it “could not trade recklessly” and keep services running where there was little demand.