Bus passengers urged to observe safety measures

Bus Éireann, Ireland’s national bus company, has issued a timely reminder to all its Athlone passengers about the safety measures that continue to remain in place on all buses.

The safety measures are designed to safeguard both passengers and employees of Bus Éireann, and are particularly important now that all public transport has returned to full capacity. All passengers are asked to be mindful of the following set of safety measures:

* Mandatory face masks throughout the journey (with exemptions on health grounds)

* Hand sanitising units on board

* Cashless payment options including Leap cards, ticket machines in stations and online at buseireann.ie

* Guaranteed seat reservation for interurban travel on expressway.ie

* Deep cleaning overnight and additional cleaning during the day

* Windows should be kept open where available, coaches have air conditioning

“We are grateful to our Athlone based employees and customers for all their support over the past 18 months,” said Allen Parker, Chief Customer Officer, Bus Éireann, who added that the company was proud to have been able to operate continuously throughout the pandemic, albeit with reduced capacity.

“The very high rate of vaccination in Ireland and the proven effectiveness of face masks in reducing Covid-19 transmission are the most important factors in allowing a return to full capacity now" said Mr. Parker, who welcomed the return of students to third-level education and the steady return of traffic to Dublin Airport. "We are ready to facilitate the reopening of society and careful return to normal life" he added.

The Bus Éireann spokesperson also asked passengers to consider travelling outside of peak times when buses and coaches are "often not fully occupied" and noted that public transport in Ireland has "a good track record" and that "almost 90% of people " who travelled with the company said they "felt safe" on their buses.