Athlone town bus service could go in weeks

Bus Eireann"s Athlone town bus service could be phased out within weeks after the company said it plans to implement a programme of service cutbacks from July 5. It"s understood that the Athlone town bus service - which link areas such as Monksland, Garrycastle and Willow Park with the centre of the town - is among the services likely to be scrapped. The likelihood of the cuts was first highlighted by the Westmeath Independent two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the possibility of industrial action affecting bus users nationally was growing this week after a notice of strike action from Monday next, June 28, was issued by the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU). This notice was issued after Bus Eireann said it would change drivers" terms and conditions from Monday next and would implement cuts to its services from July 5. It"s understood that the company is proposing to make redundant eleven Athlone-based bus drivers. SIPTU, which represents Bus Eireann staff in Athlone, has warned management that it will ballot for industrial action if the changes to workers" conditions go ahead next week. When contacted by the Westmeath Independent on Monday, a Bus Eireann spokesman wouldn"t confirm that the Athlone town bus routes were about to be removed, but he said customers would be told about the planned cuts to the company"s services prior to July 5. He also said that if services were being removed this would be done on a phased basis over a number of weeks. In addition to the removal of the Athlone town service, there will be cuts to a number of regional routes linking Athlone with other towns and cities. The routes in question are believed to be as follows: Services between Waterford and Athlone to be removed except on Fridays and Sundays; Cork-Athlone service to be withdrawn; Limerick-Athlone service to be withdrawn; Westport-Athlone service to be withdrawn on Sundays; Athlone-Sligo service to be withdrawn; Navan-Athlone service to be withdrawn; Cavan-Athlone service to be withdrawn. The company said this week that falling passenger numbers meant it was losing more than €500,000 a week, and that as a result service cuts were unavoidable. However the planned cutbacks have been strongly criticised by local councillor Paul Hogan, who said Athlone is one of the areas which will be worst affected. 'I am sceptical whether the management of Bus Eireann bothered to carry out any kind of report on the usage of the town"s shuttle bus service and its popular demand by the people of Athlone,' said Cllr Hogan. 'I accept that not all areas utilized the service to its maximum, but some other services were very popular, most notably the Monksland to Golden Island service. I would call for the extension of this bus service to cater for people from every estate in the town. There is huge potential to provide a top class service for the people of Athlone and its visitors, but unfortunately the political will of this Fianna Fail/ Green Party Government has failed the people,' commented the Sinn Fein representative. He added that some people depended on public transport to get to work and to shops, and that an adequate bus service was a key component to a healthy local economy. 'Now, more than ever, the government should be investing in public services such as education, health, and transport. Every largely populated urban centre should have a shuttle bus service and rural areas should be catered for adequately by the Rural Transport Service,' said Cllr Hogan. In addition, Irish Rural Link said that the planned Bus Eireann cuts made a mockery of the government"s vision for a proper, sustainable public transport service.