TD "flabbergasted" as report on loss of Athlone Aircoach route says no response needed

It appears that the State will not be intervening to replace the Aircoach bus service connecting Athlone and Dublin, which closed recently.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) this month conducted a review of the private transport provider's decision to end its 706 and 706X services between Galway and the capital.

Up until its closure on April 8, the route had provided ten daily services in each direction, all of which served Athlone, while four also served Ballinasloe.

The NTA report was to assess whether or not there was now a 'public service obligation' on the State to put a replacement bus service into effect.

However, the NTA has concluded that there is no such obligation to replace the Aircoach service.

It pointed to the continued availability of Citylink bus services and Irish Rail services between Galway and Dublin.

"Ballinasloe and Athlone will have fewer departures to the Dublin Airport however both will still have direct Dublin Airport connections, with (Citylink) route 763 travelling to Dublin Airport eight times a day," stated the NTA report.

"The services that will remain in operation along the Galway to Dublin corridor via Ballinasloe, Athlone, and Maynooth, meet the minimum service standard outlined in Connecting Ireland and no immediate action is required to address the withdrawal of route 706.

"The NTA will continue to monitor local demands for travel along this corridor to ensure they remain fit for purpose," stated the report which was signed by the NTA's chief executive Anne Graham and its Head of Public Transport Regulation Dominic Hannigan.

Westmeath TD Robert Troy said he was deeply disappointed by this response from the NTA.

"At a time when we are continuously talking about climate change, continuously talking about people getting out of their cars and onto public transport, I'm just flabbergasted that they've now come back and said no intervention is needed," he told the Westmeath Independent.

"This was a popular route. It was obviously not hugely profitable, or (Aircoach) wouldn't have taken a commercial decision to pull it, but it was a well-utilised service.

"We are rolling out new bus routes across the country, under the heading Connecting Ireland, but critical to connecting Ireland is connecting our main towns and cities as well.

"It beggars belief, the decision that's come back."

He said he had only just received the NTA report this morning (Thursday) and would be talking to his Fianna Fáil Ministerial colleague Jack Chambers, the Minister of State for Transport, to see if any other action could be taken.

"I will be talking to Minister Chambers to see if there is anything more that can be done, because this is an important route that serves a university town, a tourism spot, and a huge population that comes to work in the businesses in Athlone.

"It's greater connectivity we should be looking at, not reducing services," he concluded.