Users of Bus Éireann route 'disgusted' by decision to axe it

Services on Bus Éireann's routes from Athlone to Dublin and Galway pulled into their destination for the final time on Wednesday night, July 28.

The decision to scrap the 20 and X20 Expressway routes, as a cost-cutting measure by the semi-State bus company, was greeted with dismay by some of the locals who had used the services.

Athlone's Lisa Conlon said she was "absolutely disgusted" by the decision, as she had often used the bus to take her baby girl to appointments at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.

"She has several appointments due to being a premature baby," explained Lisa. "I used the bus as it drops off and picks up at the hospital, which is perfect for me as I'm a single Mum and don't drive.

"I meet people a lot and we have spoken about how the bus was so easy for people in the same position," she said.

Private companies Citylink and Aircoach operate Dublin to Galway services which do stop in Ballinasloe.

However, their Athlone stops, at the Arcadia Retail Park and AIT, are less convenient for some and don't offer the same kind of seating, shelter and toilet facilities provided at Athlone Bus Station.

Another Athlone-based bus user, Aisling Kenny, has a disability which sometimes necessitates her use of a wheelchair.

She said that, before the pandemic, she would have used the Bus Éireann routes to Dublin or Galway on a weekly basis.

"While I prefer the train, knowing that I had the flexibility to use the bus was hugely helpful. I knew if I lost track of time and missed my train, I could get a late bus home," she said.

"I would also use it to attend hospital in Ballinasloe. My disabilities mean I wouldn't be safe to drive even if I was able to."

She said she would now have to rely on lifts to her hospital appointments in Ballinasloe, thus reducing her independence.

Aisling said that, while the Free Travel Pass is accepted by companies such as Citylink, the Arcadia and AIT stops were much less accessible to her and not as suitable for waiting on a bus in comparison with the bus station.

Aisling said her main disability was Hypermobile Type Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS), which could cause her fatigue, chronic pain, dislocations and partial-dislocations of joints, and could result in her getting bruised or injured very easily during everyday tasks.

"I would use a cane for walking a lot, and for times when I'll be out all day I use a foldable manual wheelchair," she explained.

When taking Bus Éireann buses, she generally found the staff to be "very understanding and compassionate," but her experiences with private companies had not been as positive.

Commenting on the removal of the 20 and X20 routes, she said it felt "incredibly cruel" for this to happen just as society was beginning to open up again.

"Disabled people have been utterly forgotten about in this pandemic, constantly called 'the most vulnerable' as though that is simply an inevitable fact of life. We would be a lot less vulnerable if society was built with us in mind, and if we were considered equal citizens.

"We can't help having certain impairments, but I firmly believe that most of our vulnerabilities are manufactured by a profit-driven society that would just rather we went away. The bus cuts are just one tiny facet of that callousness," she stated.

Sinn Féin recently launched an online petition urging Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to restore the axed Bus Éireann routes.

"The decision to cancel the service is wrong and devastating for the communities affected. This service is a lifeline for so many people," said Sinn Féin TD for Meath West, Johnny Guirke.

"It is particularly shocking that the ending of this service was overseen by a Green Party Transport Minister, who should be increasing sustainable modes of transport, not cutting them."

Anthony Keane, the Athlone-based secretary of the Longford/Westmeath branch of the Social Democrats, also issued a statement in opposition to Bus Éireann's decision.

"The Longford/Westmeath branch of the Social Democrats has protested the decision by Bus Éireann to axe the 20 and X20 routes which service many towns in the Midlands, including Athlone, Moate, Kilbeggan, and Kinnegad," said the statement from the party's local branch.

"The decision to get rid of the bus routes reflects a constant derogation of responsibility on the part of Bus Éireann towards rural Ireland.

"Over the last ten years these services have been chipped away at, with stops removed and operating hours reduced regularly.

"With the cancellation of these routes, many people who need them for work, for hospital appointments, for study, and for other reasons will be left stranded," it stated.