Rural bus services facing axe

A number of rural bus services face the axe with other routes to become less frequent because of falling passenger numbers, it emerged today.

Transport chiefs blamed a 10% fall in demand last year for the cuts, which they plan to impose as soon as possible.

But critics warned scrapping routes would devastate low-income communities and people living in remote areas.

Bus Éireann would not reveal how many of its 330 services around the country would be affected.

A spokesman said the majority of changes would focus on the frequency and efficiency of routes.

“There are routes that have very low customer support, routes used by three or four or five people,” he said.

“It used to be that we could use profits from inter-city services but that money isn’t there to support these routes any more.

“They’re not sustainable in the current economic environment – the fares don’t even cover the fuel for the bus.”

The spokesman said while Bus Éireann wanted the changes implemented quickly, they would be phased in to minimise disruption.

“We’re well aware of what our services mean to local communities and we will try as much as we can to cause as little inconvenience as possible to customers,” he added.

Labour transport spokesman Tommy Broughan described the plans as astonishing.

“Further public transport cutbacks will have a devastating social and economic impact, particularly on low income communities and on senior citizens who may be entirely dependent on the local bus service,” he said.

“It also makes no long-term economic sense to continually downgrade key public transport infrastructure and networks.”

Fine Gael’s Shane McEntee said authorities still had an obligation to provide some form of transport service despite low demand.

“If they’re going to cut the buses out of rural Ireland you have to at least continue to fund local rural transport initiatives and subsidised systems,” the Meath East TD added.

“The economy will pick up but if these routes are stopped it will be very difficult to pick them up again.”

Meanwhile, Iarnród Éireann reassured rail passengers there were no imminent cuts to its services.

A spokesman said the group had managed cost savings of 10 million euro last year through job cuts and renegotiating contracts with suppliers.

“We would be looking to maintain the level of services that we offer as much as is practical,” he added.