Cork bus users face 'difficulties' after Expressway routes axed

Impact will be 'significant' in towns such as Fermoy and Mitchelstown

Bus Eireann has announced that multiple Expressway intercity routes are to be cancelled.

Bus users from towns such as Fermoy and Mitchelstown in Cork have been put in a "difficult" position over Bus Éireann's decision to axe its Expressway routes, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has admitted.

Mr Ryan said he would be raising connectivity for such towns with the National Transport Authority (NTA) following Bus Éireann's announcement that its routes from Dublin to Cork, Limerick, and Galway would cease in the new year.

Bus Éireann was projecting a €20m hole in its finances over the next three years if the route was continued, insiders said. A huge drop in passenger numbers, including students and holidaymakers, since the Covid-19 pandemic began was the major factor behind its decision to terminate the services.

Cork East TD, Pat Buckley, said the axing of the Cork to Dublin route alone meant that 42 buses would be taken out of the schedule for major Cork towns such as Fermoy and Mitchelstown. This will have a "significant impact", he said.

The area will be left with one service to Cork and back on Sunday and that is it. 

"What does the minister tell the people of east Cork, including Mitchelstown, Fermoy, and the hinterland? When is there the possibility of a service and how quickly will it be resolved and restored? It is a vital service in east Cork and it is gone," Mr Buckley said.

The transport minister said that Bus Éireann's proposed reallocation and redeployment of resources that he had approved has "various caveats or conditions" related to it. 

One condition is that the firm is looking to redeploy bus services in Cork to improve the services into and in the city, Mr Ryan said.

"I was aware a number of years ago that the same issue was arising in Fermoy, Mitchelstown, Cahir, and all the towns along that line. 

Difficult to compete

"It was difficult for Bus Éireann Expressway to compete on the Dublin service because it was stopping on all the routes along the way and the other bus companies were going direct. Bus Éireann was losing customers on that Expressway route. 

"I said if there was a withdrawal of any services it would be with the caveat that the NTA would look at each of those towns and, where there was a lot of connectivity or services, we would see whether we could provide such connectivity or services on a public service obligation route instead of an Expressway commercial route and do that in tandem with anything we do with revised routes. 

"Those towns are specific examples where we have had that difficulty so I will be in touch with the NTA in that regard to make sure there is connectivity," he said.

Bus Éireann has said no concrete dates for the axing of the routes have been determined, but are likely next year "when the current commercial bus operator emergency supports to the Cork, Limerick, and Galway routes expire".