People Before Profit have called on the government to reintroduce a publicly funded Galway-Dublin bus service.
The party is calling for a route to be funded through the NTA’s public service obligation programme to replace the cancelled private services.
Aircoach announced in March that they were cancelling their 706/706X Galway – Dublin route, which came to an end in early April.
Adrian Curran, PBP candidate for Galway CityCentral, said that when the former Bus Éireann 20/X20 route was axed in 2021 they warned that the Aircoach route which replaced it would not be sustainable in the long-term.
The NTA and Minister Eamon Ryan have since confirmed to PBP that it is examining whether a public route should be reintroduced under its PSO programme.
“This route needs to be introduced without delay, a People Before Profit petition on reintroducing the route has gained over 800 signatures.”
“Green candidates running in Galway in these elections must explain why public transport locally has gone backwards while a member of their party is Minister for Transport.”
“This issue is symptomatic of the much wider failure of their party in government on climate, with Éamon Ryan admitting that the government is ‘not on track’ to meet their already inadequate e targets in emissions reduction.”
Andrew Mannion of PBP said that under the current government, public transport in the Ballinasloe area has declined significantly.
This has driven up the usage of private cars, leading to an increase in air pollution, the county council candidate added.
