FERMANAGH could be left without a direct link to any airport in the country if the Number 30 service to Dublin is cut as part of Bus Eireann cost-cutting plans.
As part of a range of measures aimed at saving the company from a financial meltdown, it was recommended Bus Eireann axe, or at least cut back, their Expressway service, which links towns and cities across Ireland to Dublin.
The Number 30 Expressway service from Donegal Town to Dublin travels via Enniskillen and Derrylin, and runs 11 times a day to Dublin, from 1am until 7pm, and 12 times a day to Donegal, from 7.30am until 12 midnight. The service is particularly popular with locals travelling to Dublin airport, as the service drops passengers off outside departures, and picks returning travellers right outside the arrival gate.
Gerry McCauley of McCauley Coaches did not add much hope to the prospect of a local, private provider picking up on the service if the Bus Eireann did axe the Number 30, but said he would consider putting on a bus from Belleek to Enniskillen.
“It’s all about the numbers,” said Mr McCauley, who said there would be cross-border licensing issues. “They [Bus Eireann] can do things other people couldn’t do because they are part of the government. There’s no way a private person could run the service as they do.”
In a statement to the Herald, Bus Eireann stated the Expressway service would “remain part of the company’s business.”
“However changes are urgently required to address Bus Eireann’s adverse financial situation,” they continued. “This may result in alterations to the operation of some routes, but the National Transport Authority (NTA) have advised that they will ensure local demands for public transport are met, and that “no rural communities will be left behind”.
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