Clare bus services axed to cut costs

BUS Éireann is to slash a number of Clare services from this weekend. The cuts are coming on routes that have been serving relatively small numbers of passengers.

This week, there are 18 services a day operating from Shannon to Ennis but this is to be reduced to 14. Currently, there are 15 services a day going in the opposite direction but this will be cut to 12. Passengers going between Ennis and Shannon will still be served by the Galway-Shannon-Limerick express service, which runs 14 times a day.
Route 343 runs from Shannon to Limerick via Sixmilebridge and runs on weekdays at 4.30pm. This will now be withdrawn. The Limerick/Clonlara service, which runs at 1pm on weekdays, will go, as will the 1.45pm O’Briensbridge/Limerick service.
The Ardnacrusha/Limerick service that has been running at 4.30pm on weekdays will be withdrawn, while a licence application has been submitted to operate at 4.10pm from Ardnacrusha.
The 9.25pm Limerick/Ennis daily service will be withdrawn, while there will be an alternative service at 8.25pm.
There has been a 9.25pm Ennis to Miltown Malbay service operating on Fridays but that will be withdrawn, as will the Miltown to Ennis service, which has been running at 4.35pm.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said that the axing of services was in response to the economic downturn.
“The changes being introduced by Bus Éireann reflect the economic downturn, which has seen a significant drop in demand for public transport.
“Bus Éireann customer numbers dropped by over 10% in 2009 due to the fall in the number of people in work, the significant slowdown in the retail industry and a substantial reduction in the number of tourists visiting Ireland.”
He said that the services that are going haven’t been carrying large numbers of passengers.
“In order to minimise the impact of service changes on customers, changes are concentrated on routes with low customer support and the majority of changes involve a reduction in frequency and/or a change in routing. A number of routes with very low customer support are hugely loss-making and can no longer be sustained in the current economic environment.
“Bus Éireann has continually reduced its cost base over the last number of years without impacting on services but that is no longer feasible and further significant savings will have to be achieved through the implementation of the company’s cost recovery plan,” the minister said.