Local Cllr Evelyn Parsons has called on the Minister for Transport to immediately intervene in the reinstatement of a multi-stop bus services along the Galway-Ballinasloe-Dublin route. This follows the decision by the National Transport Authority not to introduce a new route to following Aircoach’s decision to cease operating on the route.
Cllr Parsons said this latest cut in public transport has resulted in people being left “marooned and stranded”. She also expressed disappointment at the decision of the NTA. The NTA has determined there is no public service obligation to introduce new services to replace this route as the remaining services ‘meet the minimum service standard outlined in Connecting Ireland’. This is extremely disappointing, especially for those who are now experiencing transport difficulties,” said Independent Cllr Parsons.
Galway County Council passed a resolution on foot of a motion brought by Cllr Parsons in March seeking the support of both the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, and the National Transport Authority in reinstating a multi-stop service along this route. “I’ve also contacted the Oireachtas Transport Committee on this issue. The Aircoach multistop service was discontinued in April. I have listened to and represented the concerns of the public along the route in the Ballinasloe Municipal Area and I’ve also been contacted by communities in Roscommon who have been cut off from their local town, Ballinasloe - they feel government parties have let them down badly and not provided adequate transport for our area,”said Cllr Parsons.
Commenting on the impact of the loss of the service, Cllr. Parsons said: “It is death by a thousand cuts to rural Ireland. We had been looking for the introduction of new services after the withdrawal of a Bus Eireann service and now we have had to contend with the withdrawal of yet another service.
“This is simply not good enough and we now need urgent intervention by both the Minister for Transport and NTA to ensure a service is reinstated for those who rely on it locally. This latest decision has left people stranded,” Cllr Parsons added.
“Many people locally depended on the service to attend hospital appointments, to attend training placements, to maintain independence, to attend college, travel to work or to go shopping and it is not feasible to expect them to rely on taxis or to seek lifts from other people.
“Employers are worried about maintaining their workforce and provision of much needed health services including nurse training placements are impacted , as are students travelling to Maynooth and other colleges - public transport is needed. The public are certainly conscious of the environment, and expected government parties to be likewise in this region of Just Transition but who can even think about reducing car ownership when regular convenient public transport is not being put in place,” she added.
Cllr Parsons will meet with the NTA in May where she will outline the value of importance of this route to the local community and ask them to look afresh at their decision using current commuter trends and the impact the loss of bus transport is having on communities.
