Commuters demand improvements to bus service between Cork City and Kinsale

A public meeting heard complaints that capacity issues on the route have left students stranded on the side of the road and passengers who didn’t pre-book tickets denied boarding

Several passengers say they have been abandoned by full or overbooked buses, that some timetabled buses have not shown up at all, and that buses don’t seem to stop in Belgooly or Riverstick anymore.

Commuters in one of Ireland’s best-known food and tourist towns have launched a ‘fix the 226’ campaign to demand a functioning and reliable bus service.

Efforts are also under way to allow a private operator launch a new service on the Kinsale to Cork City route that would give passengers more options. 

It follows a public meeting in the town to discuss Bus Éireann’s 226 service between the historic harbour town and the city.

It heard complaints that capacity issues on the route have left students stranded on the side of the road and passengers who didn’t pre-book tickets denied boarding.

The capacity issue is largely linked to the fact the once-an-hour route now also serves Cork Airport from the city following the amalgamation of the 226a service.

Several passengers say they have been abandoned by full or overbooked buses, that some timetabled buses have not shown up at all, and that buses don’t seem to stop in Belgooly or Riverstick anymore.

The city terminus has also been relocated to Clontarf Street, prompting safety concerns. And because that stop has no bus shelter, passengers have been left to stand in the rain for up to two hours, only for in some cases, a timetabled bus not to show up.

Last night at the Cork to Kinsale Bus stop in Clontarf Street with the bus station only across the road! pic.twitter.com/IjIFImuSRi

— marian caulfield (@mcaul) November 8, 2022

Green Party representative in Kinsale Marc Ó Riain, and commuter Marian Caulfield said demand for the bus service had surged since the lifting of pandemic restrictions, as people return to work and college. But they said passenger frustration with the service has led to the setting up of the community campaign, ‘fix the 226’.

Following Monday’s meeting, a wish list of basic improvements has been drawn up for submission to Bus Éireann.

The key demands are for:

• A full double-decker service to operate on the route every half hour, 
• The reinstatement of the 226a service, 
• The installation of a covered bus shelter at the city terminus, 
• That stop to be relocated back into the bus station, 
• And the installation of covered shelters on each 226 stop.

But Mr Ó Riain and Ms Caulfield said the only realistic alternative at the moment is to facilitate the introduction by the West Cork Connects private operator of its already licensed 228 service, to serve Kinsale, Belgooly, Riverstick, Ballinhassig, UCC, MTU and CUH and the city every half hour.

West Cork Connects’ Damian Long said they have the buses, drivers and a licence, and are ready to launch the service.

But he said for insurance reasons, Cork County Council must either paint a bus stop on the road or place a bus stop pole in Ballinhassig to enable them launch the service.

Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard said the various issues must be addressed especially at a time when the demand and appetite for using public transport has increased and is being encouraged.

Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan said elected representatives should organise a meeting between council engineers and West Cork Connects to discuss the required infrastructure.