Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I use the train service regularly in Cork, more so than buses. The difficulty I see lying ahead for us is that while trains turn up on time and always arrive, the same surety is not there for people when it comes to using their local bus service. For the 214 bus in Glanmire, in particular, and the 208 in Mayfield, the impact of BusConnects will be transformative for the city. It will be overwhelmingly positive. As the Minister said, there are a number of hurdles to overcome in order to get there.

My concern about the big plans and the significant investment planned with BusConnects is that if we do not have the drivers, we will continue to experience the same service, which, in the case of the 214, has been described as the worst performing route in the country. That is the concern. Every week, and it happens literally every second day, we get phone calls and text messages from constituents complaining that the bus did not show up, or the information board indicated it would be there in seven, 12 or 15 minutes, when it arrived 40, 50 or 60 minutes later. Even the accuracy of stuff that goes up on the information board, and little practical things like that, need to be improved on as well.

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