Bus Éireann says it doesn't have the resources, vehicles or drivers to increase the number of services it's running.
It's after numerous complaints about a lack of capacity on buses serving Monaghan and Athlone, with many passengers left stranded.
Passengers have raised concerns about being unable to travel by bus from Monaghan, Athlone and some other local stops because buses are full on arrival.
Many passengers reported having booked a ticket online but still being refused a seat on their chosen bus.
Bus Éireann has blamed the 50 per cent capacity set by Government to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and the lack of commercial bus operators who have not returned to their routes for the issues in Monaghan and Athlone.
It says because it continued to operate "a non-subvented service" on 18 inter-city Expressway routes throughout the lockdown it has seen an impact in its financial reserves.
It says therefore it doesn't have the resources, staff or vehicles to run extra buses to increase services on the busiest routes.
In a statement to Shannonside Northern Sound, Bus Éireann said anyone who has booked a ticket but who does not get a seat on their chosen service is entitled to a full refund.
It says it has automated live updates on Twitter to indicate when its services are full.
Statement from Bus Éireann
Currently some Expressway intercity services are unable to satisfy passenger demand, especially at peak travel times including Friday and Sunday. We recognise the frustrations and very real inconvenience and even hardship this situation is causing to some customers and to our colleagues who are doing their very best to manage these situations.
Bus Éireann advised the public of these constraints on 9 July 2020, has an automated live update on Twitter to indicate when services are full and has clear information and pop up advice notices on the Expressway website.
The issue is arising from the necessary 50 per cent capacity limit set by Government as a public health measure to prevent the spread of Covid19. In the case of inter-city travel, it is exacerbated by the fact that most commercial operators have not yet returned to the road, therefore overall capacity on routes is much less than 50 per cent of pre-Covid19 levels. Expressway is providing 86 per cent of its pre-Covid19 services.
Expressway has operated as a non-subvented service on 18 inter-city routes throughout the lockdown with significant effect on the company’s financial reserves. This decision was taken because of the need to provide transport for essential workers during the lockdown – there are 22 hospitals served by Expressway, and almost 250 communities for which Expressway has been the main public transport available since March 2020. Unfortunately, we do not currently have resources, vehicles or drivers to be able to increase service levels. We are pleased to say however that this is now under review thanks to recently-announced Government supports being provided to the sector.
We have recognised the pressures on capacity and tried to introduce measures to help customers to manage and plan their travel. In addition to introducing new formats of customer information, we have expedited online bookings on those routes which are under greatest pressure (Cork/Dublin X1 Belfast/Dublin) with Donegal, Letterkenny/Dublin launching this Wednesday 29th July, 2020. Unfortunately this capability is not available across the network at the moment, but we are working hard to deliver it as quickly as possible. Anyone who buys a ticket online but is unable to travel due to capacity restrictions is of course entitled to a full refund from Bus Éireann.
In recognition of the 50 per cent capacity limit, Government guidance is that public transport should only be used for “necessary journeys” at this time. Bus Éireann adheres fully to all public health guidance. Our drivers and inspectors are not in a position to ascertain whether someone’s journey is necessary or not. We would like people to take into consideration that their journey may prevent an essential worker reaching their place of employment, or someone attending a healthcare appointment. Where people can travel at off-peak times, or using alternative means, we strongly encourage them to do so if possible.
Covid19 has demanded a great deal of everyone in Ireland over the past four months. We welcome recent Government announcement of temporary funding support and look forward to partnering with key stakeholders to explore ways we can continue to serve our customers. Our frontline employees have shown commitment and dedication in delivering our essential service all over the country. When they prevent someone from boarding a coach, it is because they are working to protect everyone and in accordance with public health guidance. We thank customers for their patience and understanding of the current pressures and encourage people to monitor the @ExpresswayIRE Twitter feed for live capacity updates.
