Bus cancellations causing chaos for local commuters

Frequent cancellations of Bus Eireann services to Dublin have been causing nightmares for local commuters.

In recent weeks, commuters have been faced with cancellations on the NX , the 101, the 103 and the 109 bus services from Navan to Dublin.

"These cancellations, when they happen regularly can put jobs in jeopardy," warned Deputy Peadar Tóibín.

Navan commuter, Brian McGovern said he commutes to Dublin each day and there have been regular cancellations recently.

"Every day, you have to keep checking to see if buses are cancelled.

"I noticed on one Friday there was no NX between 6.30 and 9pm. That was two and a half hours without a bus."

He said that every evening before he leaves work, he checks to see if his bus is running or if it has been cancelled.

"We should be able to just turn up for the bus and be sure it will be there" he said.

Deputy Tóibín said “The cancellations of these buses are all too familiar and too regular for Meath commuters. It’s a serious imposition on them. A cancelled bus leaves people late for work and to appointments. When this happens regularly it can put jobs and health treatments in jeopardy. It can also leave people stranded for hours. Its another assault on public transport in Meath which has been a constant over the past few months. Despite the Meath population growing by 12.9 per cent in the last six years, despite Meath having a largest commuting population in the country and Meath commuters commuting further than any other county, this government has failed to provide dependable transport infrastructure for the people of Meath”.

He said we had seen the government implement ambitious plans for infrastructure for Dublin, such as the MetroLine. "At the same time, less ambitious projects like the Navan to Dublin Rail Line has been promised for decades and our population now makes it a necessity, yet this government are completely unclear about when it will be delivered. Given the population increase experienced by the county in recent years we need a concrete commitment and ring fenced funding”.

“The cancellation of the bus services is another kick in the teeth for Meath commuters to Dublin. Between this, the four tolls and the extortionate tax on fuel, the government is forcing tens of thousands of Meath workers to spend hours commuting to work and paying a fortune to do so” concluded Deputy Tóibín.

A spokesperson for Bus Eireann said "Bus Éireann understands and regrets the impact of any cancellation on customers. Bus Éireann operates approximately 2,000 trips a week between Navan and Dublin, the vast majority of which operate to schedule and some of which operate every 20 minutes. Unfortunately, situations can arise that affect services, such as a vehicle breakdown, events / traffic congestion and driver availability, sometimes at short notice. We make every effort to minimise the impact on customers. Bus Éireann is committed to delivering all of our scheduled services and are actively recruiting nationwide."