Local Aircoach service is ending 'due to low demand' says Transport Minister
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has said the decision by Aircoach to discontinue its ten daily buses between Athlone and Dublin or Galway was taken because "the demand was not there" for the services.
The Green Party leader was responding in the Dáil to a question from Galway Sinn Féin TD Mairead Farrell about the commercial transport company's recent decision.
Minister Ryan noted that the local Aircoach services began in 2021, after Bus Éireann ended its buses between Galway and Dublin, and he said low levels of demand on the route had been an issue for both companies.
"The Aircoach service was there replacing the Bus Éireann services, and in both instances the demand was not there. It is a commercial decision," he said.
"If Aircoach was seeing large passenger numbers, it would obviously not be stopping the route."
Aircoach announced that its 706 and 706X services between Galway and Dublin city and airport would be ending from midnight on Monday, April 8. All of the company's ten daily services on this route served Athlone, while four also served Ballinasloe.
In his Dáil comments on the issue the Minister didn't refer to Athlone or Ballinasloe, but said there were still "significant services" in place between Galway and Dublin Airport, such as those operated by Citylink.
"It is not that there is a complete absence of connectivity from Galway to Dublin Airport. There are very significant numbers of services and that may be one of the reasons it has proven difficult for commercial operators to make a viable project on the same route," he stated.
Deputy Farrell asked what steps the Government was taking to address the loss of the Aircoach buses. "Public transport is a public service that cannot simply be left to private operators," she argued.
In his reply, Minister Ryan said the National Transport Authority (NTA) would be conducting an assessment of whether a replacement service was needed on the route.
"In circumstances where a commercial operator ceases running a specific route, the NTA undertakes an examination to determine whether it is necessary for a replacement PSO (Public Service Obligation) route to be introduced to ensure no loss of connectivity to the public," said Minister Ryan.
"This process includes an assessment of the level of demand for public transport services in the affected area, an evaluation of whether existing PSO services can be reconfigured to meet any shortfall, and whether it is necessary to competitively tender for the provision of services.
"Regarding the connectivity consequences of Aircoach’s decision, I reassure the Deputy that my officials and I are engaging with the NTA on this matter to ensure there are no gaps along particular segments in the network, and to assess if there is a need to provide any additional services."
He said the NTA's decision on the matter would be made public once it had completed its route assessment, and this would be "within a short number of months".