Bus Éireann said passenger numbers had returned to pre-Covid levels this year, with the transport company racking up 89.5 million passenger journeys over the year.
That compared to 57.5 million journeys in 2021, when ongoing restrictions limited public transport services.
The bounce-back in travel came despite the pandemic continuing to impact services in the first two months of the year, with Bus Éireann seeing high growth in demand since September.
Among the routes that have seen increased growth compared to 2019 were Route 115 services between Mullingar and Dublin and Route 303 services in Limerick city, which now carry between 40-60 per cent more passengers than in 2019.
The company has also seen increased demand for the school transport scheme, which it operates on behalf of the Department of Education. More than 150,000 students are carried on school transport each school day, across mainstream and special education.
A look ahead to 2023
Stephen Kent, chief executive of Bus Éireann, said the overall growth in passengers using the company’s services was due to a number of factors, including increased and better services following National Transport Authority investment, the fare reduction introduced by the Government, and the increasing interest in sustainable modes of transport.
He said 2022 “has been an exciting year for bus transport in Ireland and we are happy to see so many passengers returning in numbers not seen since the pre-Covid period, with a new generation of bus passengers coming on-board for the first time”.
“The updated Climate Action Plan shows the Government has ambitious targets for public transport in Ireland. Through continued investment in our services and network and continuing to serve in excess of 90 million passengers – while also increasing our passenger numbers in 2023 – Bus Éireann is well positioned to support this policy and contribute significantly to achieving the targets set out.”
