No fare play on college bus routes
Regan Kelly
Once the school and college term starts, so does a busy period across the country, and in Mullingar, it has brought increasing pressure on bus services, particularly between here and Athlone.
Laura Reynolds, whose son is attending TUS in Athlone this year, told the Westmeath Examiner about the problems he is having this term. “For us, the most attractive bus is the 190, as that one stops at the Dublin Road, but because the bus comes the whole way from Dundalk, it’s mostly full by the time it gets here, so we can’t really chance that one too often.
“The other option is the 70 route, which goes from the train station, but that takes a long time and is often too full.
“I know there is the local link 819, but it takes over an hour and 20 minutes to get to Athlone.”
The impact of buses running at capacity at peak times has caused many students, like Laura’s son, much difficulty in the mornings: “Often, he is waiting for the 190 bus at the Dublin Road stop, and by the time the bus gets to Mullingar, it is full. So he ends up stuck there as they won’t let him on, and no other bus goes by that stop – which means he has to walk to Castle Street or to the train station, and he might not even make it.
“Some mornings he can get a lift, but that isn’t always the case.”
Students returning from college in Athlone also face challenges getting home, as many buses run late or at capacity.
Laura added: “One evening, he [her son] was waiting for the 190 after finishing college. The bus was more than 20 minutes late, but the bus driver came out and told commuters who were travelling to Mullingar they would have to wait for the next bus.”
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“A bus then came later, which took over 90 minutes to get home, which meant he wasn’t home until near seven, when if he was allowed on the first bus and it ran on time, he might be home at six.”
Asked what could be done, Laura said: “I think they should have a direct student bus. There are currently two buses leaving for Athlone in the morning, so you would imagine that if one bus was full, they would allow one to run direct to the college.
“I just feel sorry for the students having to commute, and having this extra stress on top of college is frustrating.”
Travel remains a pressing issue for Mullingar residents, as more and more people need transport between Athlone and Mullingar.
Cllr Denis Leonard has raised the issue and the related one of school bus fees (which the Examiner has previously reported on). In a social media post, he wrote: “Children going to the same schools on the same buses are paying vastly different fares for the same service, and a highly unfair system of advertising and issuing tickets. I have written to Ministers McEntee, Burke, and Troy requesting immediate action to rectify this appalling inequality and lack of transparency and fairness that has emerged in the local secondary school bus transport system.”
Cllr Leonard organised a meeting with senior public representatives last night, Monday; see westmeathexaminer.ie for a report.
Minister’s comment
Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke stated: “I have been engaging with parents, students, and commuters regarding capacity issues on bus services between Mullingar and Athlone since the beginning of September. It is a serious problem.
“The 190 Bus Éireann service has been arriving in Mullingar near full since September, leaving people behind. This has caused huge distress for commuters who rely on it to get to work or college on time, often forcing them to scramble for alternative transport at the last minute.
“I have raised this directly with the minister for transport, the NTA and Bus Éireann, calling for additional services between Mullingar and Athlone, the two major towns in the county, or increased capacity on the existing route through larger buses such as double deckers.
“I have also engaged with TFI Local Link regarding the 819 service, which is heavily used by commuters and students. Following my representations, additional services are now in place and will continue as necessary to meet the increased demand since colleges reopened.
“Cllr Andrew Duncan has also committed to raising this matter with Westmeath County Council to apply further pressure on Bus Éireann to deliver the extra capacity that is clearly needed.”
Bus Éireann comment
The Westmeath Examiner sent a query to the Bus Éireann Press Office, and received this statement.
“Bus Éireann operates PSO services, including the 70 Public Service Obligation (PSO) route, as part of its Direct Award Contract with the National Transport Authority (NTA). This contract sets out the level of service Bus Éireann provides, and the route, schedule, frequency, fleet, and fares are determined by the National Transport Authority.
“Since the beginning of September, this service has seen a very significant growth in usage, particularly due to the resumption of college term. This is particularly focused on the morning and evening peak times and has resulted in certain departures at peak times operating full on significant parts of Route 70.
“We will bring the capacity issues on this matter and other routes to the attention of the National Transport Authority at our regular meetings.”