Independent city councillor Terry O’Flaherty his calling on Bus Éireann to restore a bus service that brought schoolchildren from the Headford Road area to schools in the city centre and Salthill.
She said scrapping the link had left children having to take two regular buses going to and from school.
“This was a great service that was well supported, and because it was solely for children, it was safe for minors to travel to and from school,” she said.
The bus left Baile an Chóiste bus terminus every morning at 7.45am and took children living along the Headford Road, Tirellan Heights, Crestwood, and Terryland across town to go to school at the 'Bish', Our Lady’s College, St Mary’s, St Enda’s, and Salerno. The return journey left Salthill at 4.15pm.
“Parents tell me that this busy service had become very unreliable in the past year and that now it has been discontinued altogether," she said. “What’s happening now is that the children have to get the regular bus, the 407, into Eyre Square, then change to the 401 or 402 bus to travel on to their schools on the west of the city. This takes much longer and many parents are instead opting to drive their children to school, which adds to rush hour traffic."
The former mayor of Galway, who is seeking re-election to Galway City Council in the Galway City East electoral area, has written to Bus Éireann asking to restore the service, and she is awaiting a response.
