60% reduction in buses serving Portiuncula Hospital – Naughten

In Disability, East Galway, Families, Health, News, Older People, South Roscommon by Denis Naughten

Local TD, Denis Naughten has revealed that there is a 60% reduction in the number of buses facilitating patients and visitors attending Portiuncula Hospital as a result of the decision by the National Transport Authority not to replace the lost Bus Éireann services.

An analysis by Denis Naughten of the current Citylink service and that provided in the past by Bus Éireann at the Portiuncula Bus Stop shows that there has been a drop in services between 7.30am and 9.30pm from 226 buses a week to the current offering of just 84 buses a week.

This analysis is based on the current Citylink commercial Route 763 Galway-Ballinasloe-Athlone-Dublin service which takes the free travel pass and services the towns and villages along the old N6 Dublin-Galway road . This is compared to the similar former Bus Éireann Route 20 service before it started to be wound down by the public transport company.

Following direct representations by Denis Naughten TD and local Councillors Evelyn Parsons and Tim Broderick to the National Transport Authority, it has stated that it believes that the Citylink commercial Route 763 is adequate to cover the loss of the Bus Éireann service. But it seems that the National Transport Authority is only looking at this based on the Covid 19 timetable operated by Bus Éireann and not the service that had previously been available at this vital bus stop.

Denis Naughten also pointed out that the HSE has plans to provide further outpatient clinics in Ballinasloe but those who are reliant on the free travel scheme or those who had used Bus Éireann services to Athlone to connect with the service to Portiuncula have now been effectively left on the side of the road.

Cllr Evelyn Parsons said that “we have mixed messages and double speak on public transport services at a time when the Government are asking people to take cars off the road and to lower emissions. How can we have rural regeneration when actions such as this are undermining these very policies?”

Cllr. Tim Broderick said that “the lack of a bus connection from local villages to Ballinasloe and particularly to Portiuncula Hospital leaves older people in particular, reliant on neighbours to get them to appointments and this is not acceptable at a time when we should be increasing local health services not closing them off to sections of our community”

Denis Naughten pointed out “as someone who used the 20/20X service, I believe this decision totally undermines the Government policy on climate change which is focused on encouraging people to move from cars to public transport. How can we get people to move when those with a right to free transport can’t actually avail of it?”

On foot of the decision by Bus Éireann and the failure by National Transport Authority to provide a replacement service, Cllrs. Broderick, Parsons, and Deputy Naughten will be supporting the protest planned outside the Emerald Ballroom at 2pm tomorrow Friday 20th August.

ENDS

Editors note: Response by the National Transport Authority

 

 

Subject: RE: Representation for Mr Denis Naughten TD, “Route 20/20x”

 

Dear Deputy

 

On 28 September 2020 Bus Éireann announced their decision to withdraw all services on their commercial licensed Route 20/X20 (Dublin to Galway). A reduced proportion of these services had recently been provided on a temporary basis under an Emergency Direct Award contract with the NTA as part of Government funded support to the licensed bus sector. Services on these routes ceased on 28 July 2021.  The NTA has no legislative powers to refuse an application from a commercial operator to reduce services from the licence or a decision of the operator to withdraw all services.

 

The NTA is responsible for securing the provision of subsidised public passenger transport services nationally. These services are delivered through public service obligation (PSO) contracts between the NTA and various public transport operators. In circumstances where a commercial operator ceases or curtails services, the NTA will examine whether, in the absence of any commercial services, a public service obligation (PSO) exists to provide socially necessary but commercially unviable public transport services. Such examination will include an assessment of the demand for public transport services and options to either re-configure existing PSO services including Local Link services, or to competitively tender for the provision of services. In either event, the NTA’s ability to provide such services is subject to the availability of funding.

 

The NTA’s position on the Galway to Dublin corridor including services from Athlone, and Ballinasloe is set out below.

The Galway to Dublin intercity corridor will continue to be served by the following public transport services:

  • Irish Rail Galway-Athlone-Dublin Heuston, 9 times per day in each direction Monday to Saturday and 6 times in each direction on Sunday
  • GoBus commercial Route 720 Galway-Dublin-Dublin Airport, 16 times per day in each direction Monday to Saturday and 17 times in each direction on Sunday pre-covid, (currently reduced to 10 times per day in each direction Monday to Saturday and 11 times in each direction on Sunday). These services are currently being provided under an Emergency Direct Award Contract.
  • Citylink commercial Routes 660/760/761 Galway-Dublin-Dublin Airport, 30 times per day in each direction Monday to Sunday pre-covid, (currently a reduced daily timetable). These services are currently being provided under an Emergency Direct Award Contract
  • Citylink commercial Route 763 Galway-Ballinasloe-Athlone-Dublin-Dublin Airport, 8 times per day in each direction daily.  These services are currently being provided under an Emergency Direct Award Contract.
  • Aircoach commercial Routes 706/706X, 10 times per day in each direction. The NTA has granted an application for a licence from Aircoach which will help maintain capacity on the corridor. The services commenced on 29 July 2021.

The NTA has determined that the removal of the Route 20/X20 service will have very limited impact on Galway to Dublin intercity journeys and no interventions are proposed.

 

 

Athlone

Athlone will continue to be served by the following public transport services:

  • Irish Rail Athlone-Dublin, 13 times per day in each direction Monday to Saturday and 9 times in each direction on Sunday.
  • Irish Rail Athlone-Galway, 10 times per day in each direction Monday to Saturday and 6 times in each direction on Sunday.
  • Irish Rail Athlone-Westport, 4 times per day in each direction Monday to Sunday
  • Citylink commercial Route 763 Galway-Ballinasloe-Athlone-Dublin-Dublin Airport, 8 times per day in each direction daily.  These services are currently being provided under an Emergency Direct Award Contract.
  • Aircoach commercial Routes 706/706X, 10 times per day in each direction. The NTA has granted an application for a licence from Aircoach which will help maintain capacity and connectivity. The services commenced on 29 July 2021.
  • Numerous other local services which are not linked to the Galway-Dublin corridor.

Although the withdrawal of Route 20/X20 will reduce the number of Galway-Dublin bus services operating through Athlone, all connections will continue to be provided by Irish Rail services and Citylink Route 763.

 

The NTA has determined that while the level of service provided by Citylink Route 763 is considered to be sufficient for towns such as Loughrea or Ballinasloe, it is not sufficient for a town of Athlone’s population and status as a Regional Growth Centre under the National Planning Framework. Under Connecting Ireland, a large number of regional and local routes are proposed to operate into Athlone, which will serve as a hub for the midlands of the country, so consideration will need to be given to continue to provide high quality intercity connectivity to both Dublin and Galway. The NTA has granted an application for a licence from Aircoach which will help maintain capacity and connectivity in the medium term. The Aircoach service provides 10 return journeys every day between Galway and Dublin via Athlone. The services commenced on 29 July 2021.

 

Ballinasloe

Ballinasloe is currently served by the following public transport services:

  • Irish Rail Galway-Athlone-Dublin, 9 times per day in each direction Monday to Saturday and 6 times in each direction on Sunday
  • Local Link Galway Route 547 Portumna-Ballinasloe, 4 times per day in each direction Monday to Saturday and twice in each direction on Sunday
  • Citylink commercial Route 763 Galway-Ballinasloe-Athlone-Dublin-Dublin Airport, 8 times per day in each direction daily. These services are currently being provided under an Emergency Direct Award Contract
  • Citylink commercial Route 763X Ballinasloe-Galway, 2 morning peak journeys Monday to Friday. These services are currently being provided under an Emergency Direct Award Contract
  • Local Link Galway Loughrea-Ballinasloe, 3 times per day in each direction Monday to Friday
  • Aircoach commercial Routes 706/706X, 4 times per day in each direction serving Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe. The NTA has granted an application for a licence from Aircoach which will help maintain connectivity on the corridor. The services commenced on 29 July 2021.

The NTA has granted an application for a licence from Aircoach which will help maintain capacity and connectivity in the medium term. The Aircoach service provides 10 return journeys every day between Galway and Dublin with 4 of these journeys operating via Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe. The timetable specifically includes a departure for the hospital at 06:30 from Galway. The services commenced on 29 July 2021.

 

The NTA has determined that the combination of the Irish Rail services, Citylink Routes 763/763X and Aircoach Routes 706/706x are considered sufficient to provide connectivity for Ballinasloe and Portiuncula Hospital, and no interventions are proposed.

 

We note the comment concerning Expressway Route 21. As you are aware this commercial service ceased operation in April 2017.  The NTA is working on plan called Connecting Ireland which has the objective of improving accessibility by public transport between settlements across the country in order to meet sustainable mobility and climate change objectives as well as to facilitate participation in society by more people without recourse to the use of a car. The NTA has done this by:-

  • systematically identifying and measuring the extent of gaps in connectivity by public transport between settlements across the State, outside of the five major conurbations of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford; and
  • developing a set of proposals to address those gaps, by enhancing existing services and introducing new ones.

Later this year the NTA will be undertaking a public consultation on proposals emanating from Connecting Ireland. The consultation will provide all interested parties including public representatives and the general public with an opportunity to review and comment on the proposals.

It is envisaged that, subject to additional funding being made available, the recommendations in Connecting Ireland will be implemented over a 5-year programme starting in 2022.

 

Kind regards
NTA Oireachtas Liaison