Dáil debates
Thursday, 16 May 2024
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Public Transport
11:00 am
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source
I received a similar response directly from Bus Éireann earlier this week. It stated that so far in 2024, over 97% of scheduled route 103 services have operated fully. Anybody who uses that service will hear that as an insult to their intelligence. I will give today as an example. Three services have been cancelled, namely, the 8.58 a.m., the 9.22 a.m. and the 10 a.m. services. It is now 11.05 a.m. That will likely continue for the rest of the day and that is the pattern. While I acknowledge that the service is not as bad as it was in autumn last year, it is nowhere near where it needs to be. In my opinion, that 97% figure is nowhere near correct. The question that has to be asked is how Bus Éireann has come up with those figures. We know it is adding additional services with coaches, for example, instead of double-decker buses. Does that count as operating fully? It leaves people at the side of the road and it is not good enough. It is causing huge frustration and needs to be addressed immediately.
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