End of covid subsidy immediate reason for bus service loss
The immediate reason for the closing of the Newbridge-Kilcullen bus service is the ending of a special subsidy by the National Transport Authority, writes Brian Byrne. The subsidy has been paid for the last 20 months as a temporary Covid measure.
According to the operator JJ Kavanagh, the numbers using the service have dropped and as yet have not returned to pre-Covid levels. They announced the closure of several local services from 1 July due to 'low patronage'. The Newbridge-Kilcullen service was suspended entirely between March-August 2020 due to Covid.
Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer says Kilcullen already has an inadequate public transport service, 'so it is just not an option' to drop the service. Cllr Chris Pender says the news is a 'bitter blow' and has expressed his anger that a vital transportation service 'can just be abandoned without any consultation with public representatives or service users'. Both councillors have committed to working with the transport operator and the NTA to try to have the service continued.
Kilcullen Community Action describes the planned ending of the service as 'dreadful news' and says the town is 'losing a hugely important connection to our nearest neighbouring town — important for workers, shoppers and students'. "Surely it goes totally against current government policy and as such needs the concerted efforts of all our public representatives to make sure this decision is reversed," the group says, "especially at a time when we should be encouraging more people to use public transport."
Local businessman Martin Murphy describes the matter as a 'travesty' that 'completely restricts' Kilcullen people. As would be expected, commentary on local Facebook pages is highly negative, and includes suggestions that the operator's claim of 'low patronage' be challenged.
Since 2011, bus services through Kilcullen have been severely cut back by both private operators and Bus Eireann. This was despite commitments given in 2009 by both groups that services through Kilcullen would be retained after the opening of further sections of the M9 motorway.
In 2015 a 'Save our Buses' campaign was set up after service cutbacks affecting Castledermot, Castlecomer, Athy and Kilcullen. At one public meeting the bosses of Bus Eireann and the National Transport Authority were told bluntly that they were effectively 'abandoning' rural Ireland. There was no representative there from JJ Kavanagh, the other primary, and private operator on the affected routes.
In 2017, JJ Kavanagh made further changes to their schedules which meant that one morning and two evening services bypassed Kilcullen and other villages between Kilkenny and Dublin.
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