Third level students ‘left behind’ by buses

Local students attending third level education in Limerick have sometimes been “left behind” because there is no room for them on buses, a north Tipperary councillor has claimed.

Lack of transport options between Nenagh and Limerick, and also Dublin, was discussed at last week's meeting of Nenagh Municipal District. Cllr Ger Darcy made the point that more students are having to commute to Limerick because they cannot secure accommodation in the city.

But he said this has resulted in a situation where buses are full and passengers have to book online and pay their daily fare in advance. “People have been left behind on occasions,” Cllr Darcy told the meeting. He wanted Tipperary Co Council to write to Bus Éireann seeking extra bus provision; perhaps minibuses could be used to deal with the extra capacity, Cllr Darcy said.

In support, Cllr Michael O'Meara said lack of accommodation in Limerick and other cities means people have no choice other than to commute. Suitable transport options must be put in place, he said.

In a statement, Bus Éireann said customers could report any capacity pressures to its customer care section (1850 836 611), which is available daily including weekends and public holidays.

“In terms of capacity between Nenagh and Limerick, understandably due to Covid-19, there was not lengthy advance notice from colleges as to how they would operate this term,” a Bus Éireaan spokesperson stated. “We are experiencing some new travel patterns and demand around third level institutions generally, as students adapt to a blend of on-site and remote learning.

“It seems apparent that many are living further from college and commuting more regularly than would have been the case previously. We will keep this under review in discussions with the National Transport Authority.”

X12 EXPRESS SERVICE

During the Nenagh Municipal District discussion, Director Marcus O'Connor recalled how Bus Éireann's X12 express service between Limerick and Dublin was withdrawn during the pandemic. He said this service was well-used by people in the Nenagh district and it should be reinstated, as has happened with the Cork-Dublin route. Mr O'Connor said the absence of this bus service, coupled with poor timetabling on the Ballybrophy rail line, is detrimental to Nenagh.

The X12 was one of four ‘Expressway’ routes (also between Dublin and Belfast, Cork and Galway) to be cut following a viability review last year. The review considered the resumption of travel post-Covid-19 restrictions.

“All commercial opportunities will be evaluated as and if they emerge,” a Bus Éireann spokesperson commented. “In the case of the X8 Cork to Dublin link, the National Transport Authority, which is responsible for connectivity, assessed the impact and decided to move that route to a State-subvented public service obligation service.” A new service on the Cork route, 245X, was introduced last month.

RAIL TRANSPORT

Cllr O'Meara asked the council to write to the Department of Transport in pursuit of European funding to upgrade the Limerick-Nenagh-Ballybrophy rail line. Transport is in “flux” at present, but with the new green agenda there should be scope for making better use of bus and rail options, he opined.

Cllr Hughie McGrath recalled talk of redeveloping Mackey Roundabout near Finnegan's pub in Limerick to bring a road out to Daly's Cross, which would serve as a spur for buses to bring rail passengers to and from UL. This would be an ideal connection point, said Cllr McGrath, who had observed such inter-connectivity working successfully in Europe. He made the point that suitable public transport options would eliminate the need for people to use cars.

Cllr Darcy pointed out that a lot work has been carried out on the Ballybrophy rail line this year. But advantage needs to be taken of this work and a shuttle service for students is required, he said.

Cllr Fiona Bonfield expressed disappointment that the rail line was not included in the National Development Plan, despite local representatives raising it with the authorities on numerous occasions.

Mr O'Connor said a national rail review is being conducted at present and the council would be making a submission. Cllr O'Meara suggested that now would be an opportune time to hold a meeting with Limerick city councillors to return focus to the Mackey Roundabout solution.