Fears for Navan town service as Bus Éireann reviews routes

Bus routes throughout County Meath are under threat as Bus Éireann reviews its routes across the country. Fears have been expressed for the future of the Navan town bus service and rural routes such as Bettystown to Drogheda and Dublin to Ardcath, following reports in the national media last week that a number of routes were to be axed, However, Bus Éireann has said that it is not withdrawing 52 routes from its nationwide network, as stated in recent media reports. The company said it is currently in discussions with trade unions about proposed changes to routes with very low customer support - often less than five people per service. The routes under review are not 'heavily used". According to spokesman Andrew McLinden, the majority of these changes would involve either reductions in the frequency of a service or a change in its route. Some services that are not economically viable in the current economic environment will be withdrawn and, in such instances, the company says it will try to ensure that an alternative service is available to the small number of customers affected in their general area. Cllr John Duffy has reacted furiously to recent reports that Bus Éireann could be planning to cut the Navan town bus service. 'The bus service in Navan provides a much-needed service to those collecting their pensions, going to school in the mornings and travelling in and out of the town to do their shopping or go to work. Any cuts to the bus service will result in increased traffic on the already congested roads of the town,' he said. 'In addition, problems with parking that were not tackled by the Fianna Fáil-controlled council over the past five years will only be further frustrated by extra traffic in the town as a result of cuts in the bus service,' he said. Local election candidate Anton McCabe said that, while canvassing, he spoke to many people who are terrified that the service will be discontinued, in particular, senior citizens for whom it is their only way to get into town, meet friends and have contact with the outside world. 'Many senior citizens are prepared to pay a nominal fare on the buses to retain the service, as it would cost them up to €12 for a taxi,' he said. Green Party candidate, Brian Flanagan, said Bus Éireann should be extending the bus service in the town. He had been told that the bus no longer goes into the Kilcarn Court estate and it had been claimed that this was because drivers do not want the inconvenience of turning. 'Larger private buses bringing children to and from school have no qualms about turning in the estate. Many older persons in Kilcarn Court and elsewhere in Navan cannot physically walk to the main road to catch the bus. Neither can they be expected to afford taxis. Moreover, this will only add to the traffic congestion problem in the town. I shall be requesting Bus Éireann not to withdraw this service together with asking them to provide a Saturday service,' he said. Reports last week of cuts to the 103 Ashbourne service were described as 'savage" by local election candidate, Niamh McGowan. She warned that cuts to the existing bus service would not only seriously inconvenience commuters, it would force people back to using their cars and further depress passenger numbers and revenue for Bus Éireann. 'Bus Éireann must adopt a different and more positive approach to reduced passenger numbers resulting from the recession. Instead of cutting services, they should be cutting prices to encourage more people to use the bus.' She has set up an online survey and petition on her website www.niamhmcgowan.com to collect names so that a strong case can be made to the CEO of Bus Eireann for a retention of the service. East Meath local election candidate, Sinéad Burke, has described any proposal to scrap local bus routes as totally reprehensible. She expressed concern at reports that services to Dublin, including the 102 Ardcath route, the east Meath coast route through Laytown, and some Drogheda routes would be reduced or withdrawn.