No end date for bus service cuts

By Finnian Cox

There is no confirmed end date for the temporary cuts to bus services on Leeside, a meeting between public representatives and Bus Éireann heard this week.

Bus Éireann has cited both driver shortages and traffic concerns as reasons for the revised timetables, confirming a full reversal of the cuts will not be on the cards until 2025.

The new schedules will come into effect from 20 October for the 202/202a, 205, 208 and 220 routes.

At the meeting on Monday, People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry said significant wage increases would be needed to increase the city’s number of bus drivers, of which there are currently 501 employed.

“Driver shortages are the root cause of the city's bus crisis and the only way to end those shortages is to significantly improve drivers' wages and conditions,” said Deputy Barry.

Mr Barry also reiterated his concerns over the fact that no end date has been given for the temporary cuts.

Green Party Councillor and General Election candidate Oliver Moran accepted that the driver shortages were a pressing issue, alongside the traffic concerns, clarifying that it wasn’t “one or the other”.

Speaking to the Cork Independent, he said while Bus Éireann was very detailed on what the issues were, he believes they need to engage with Cork City Council more.

He made the comments in response to the revelation that Bus Éireann had not engaged with city council management about resolving traffic issues in the city since their last meeting in June. Cllr Moran explained that the revised routes would mean buses would be more punctual, saying “reliability is the number one priority for most people”.

“People would prefer less buses if it meant they were more reliable - say every 30 minutes instead of every 15 minutes,” said Cllr Moran.

He also expressed concern over the low number of drivers in the city, and what it meant for the BusConnects plan, which aims to see a 50% increase in services in the city by 2026.

“Bus Éireann will need 160 extra bus drivers for the plan, and they are currently struggling to find 16,” he said.

Senator Jerry Buttimer was also at the meeting, agreeing the decision to reduce services must not be a permanent change.

Senator Buttimer said the decision was about making a reliable service, “so that the citizen, the commuter is able to have a bus service that is punctual and reliable”.

He also said it was important that the relevant authorities work together “to ensure that bus services are not impeded by congestion, and by issues around illegal parking”.

It is understood ongoing national pay negotiations between Bus Éireann management and bus worker unions aim to have new wages in place by 1 January 2025.