BUS ÉIREANN has apologised to local passengers left stranded by recent cancellations of the local Dublin route, and has urged those using the service from the airport to book their seats online to “guarantee a seat.”
There have been a number of issues with the service in recent weeks, including cancellations of the number 30 route from Donegal to Dublin, via Belleek, Enniskillen and Derrylin. In addition, some local passengers have reported not being picked up at Dublin Airport as the bus was already full.
Bus Éireann has told the ‘Herald the cancellations had been due to “staff absenteeism”, with the company “unable to avail of a contractor for these services due to the short notice.”
The company also revealed that on at least one other occasion further cancellations were averted “due to local efforts by Bus Éireann staff in Donegal.”
“We apologise to our customers impacted by this cancellation and whilst we are committed to operating all services advertised, when as a last resort we have no alternative to cancel a service, we endeavour to keep our customers fully informed including placing a notice on our website and all customers who have pre-booked seats are notified of the cancellation by email,” said a spokeswoman.
Bus Éireann said it’d had “particular challenges” with the Expressway Route 30 in recent weeks, “typically due to issues impacting driver availability, often at short notice. We have tried to build greater resilience into Route 30 operations by identifying private contractors who can support services when required,” said the spokeswoman.
“Unfortunately, due to their own challenges in driver recruitment, the increasing cost of fuel and the comparatively small pool of contractors available for Donegal based services, this solution has proven difficult to implement.”
With regard the issues of airport pick-ups, the spokeswoman said, “We have had instances of our coaches being full at Dublin Airport and this is due to demand.
“We would strongly urge all customers to book their seat online at expressway.ie as this will guarantee their seat for their selected journey.”
Many passengers have reported a lack of communication from Bus Éireann regarding the airport pick-ups – or lack thereof.
The company said it understood the importance of accurate information when services were delayed or cancelled, stating it updated its website and social media pages of any changes. The spokeswoman again urged passengers to book their seats online, noting these passengers were informed of changes via email.
The company concluded: “We would like to reassure you that recent experiences on the Expressway Route 30 service is not reflective of Bus Éireann’s service and we are committed to ensuring we consistently deliver our full advertised timetable to our customers.
“Bus Éireann would like to apologise for any impact our customers have endured in recent weeks with this service.
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