Letters

Bus Éireann – time to suit the commuter

Timetables need overhaul

Wed Sept 07 2022 - 00:07

Sir, – In this time of climate concern, the huge cost of fuel and the pressure to attend the office, it puzzles me why our national bus operator would not have a timetable that would suit the commuter.

I live near Tullow in Co Carlow and travel to the office in Dublin 1 two days a week at the moment. The first bus leaves Tullow at 6:24am and arrives at the Custom House at 8:10am, which is fine. The second bus leaves Tullow at 8:10am and arrives at the Custom House at 10:10am, which is too late for a commuter as they must be at their desk before 10am at the latest.

Then in the evening, the first bus home leaves the terminus at 4pm, but the commuter cannot get this bus as they cannot leave their desk before 4pm to go home.

Therefore, the commuter cannot get the second bus in the morning nor the first bus in the evening. The next bus in the evening is at 5.30pm and arrives in Tullow at approximately 7.15pm. Allowing for 10 minutes to get to and from the bus in Tullow morning and evening, this comes to a total of 13 hours and 10 minutes away from home those days.

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Would Bus Éireann consider the commuter when drawing up the timetables in the future, especially in the light of the climate crisis and the cost of fuel, etc?

It might also notice that the bus is almost always about half full, which would indicate that they are not facilitating a lot of people.

The number of cars leaving town in the early morning with one person in them is indicative of a much bigger problem.

Perhaps this problem could be turned into a solution by taking a second look at all bus and train timetables with the commuter in mind.

It is past time for buzz words and sound bites; action speaks louder than words. – Yours, etc,

LIAM HENDRICKEN,

Tullow,

Co Carlow.