Councillors to complain to Transport Minister over 'shocking' unreliable bus service in Cork 

Public 'find themselves let down again and again by cancelled and late buses', councillors told

Councillors say the service has worsened since Christmas to the point commuters 'can't trust the service'. Picture: Larry Cummins

Cork county councillors are writing to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and the National Transport Authority (NTA) to raise issue with what they say is a worsening bus service in the county.

Councillors in both urban and rural areas have opted to bypass Bus Éireann and raise issue with the volume of cancelled and late buses. They say it has worsened since Christmas to the point that commuters “can’t trust the service”.

Carrigaline-based Fianna Fáil councillor Seamus McGrath got unanimous support from colleagues when he said they must get Minister Eamon Ryan and the NTA to intervene.

He said the public “find themselves let down again and again” by cancelled and late buses and the app which is supposed to provide commuters with real-time arrivals and departures “is grossly inaccurate and leads to huge frustration from the public and probably also for the drivers”. 

“The current system is broken as far as I’m concerned. People are trying to do the right thing by reducing their carbon footprint and getting public transport. 

But if you have to attend an exam or an appointment you can’t trust the service. 

"I know Bus Éireann runs hundreds of journeys every day and there'll be some issues, but the frequency of them is unacceptable,” he said.

Repeated complaints

Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley, who lives in Crosshaven, said she had been getting repeated complaints from parents that their children cannot get to college or work as a result.

Fine Gael councillor Una McCarthy, who is also in Carrigaline, said she was recently informed three out of five buses serving that area
on one evening were cancelled and she had also received complaints about people being stranded at night after socialising in the city.

“Before Christmas, the reliability was shocking. I thought it would improve, but it’s got worse,” said Passage West-based Independent councillor Marcia D’Alton.

Fianna Fáil councillor Sheila O’Callaghan, who lives in Watergrasshill, said there were “huge issues” in Knockraha and Glanmire with the reliability of buses and many students are not making it to colleges and people with appointments at CUH are also missing them.

“This is no longer acceptable when we are on about sustainability and tackling climate change,” she said.

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Mitchelstown-based Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre O’Brien said there were also significant problems in her area and if the company cannot address them in suburban areas then she was even more concerned for the future of rural services.

Fine Gael councillor Kevin Murphy, who lives in Kinsale, said the “unreliability of the service is absolutely shocking”.