Louth Labour TD Ged Nash has called for greater investment in Drogheda’s bus network after the National Transport Authority acknowledged that the reliability of local services has been poor in recent months.
He said routes including the D1 and D4 have been affected by delays, cancelled services, and mechanical problems, leaving commuters dependent on an under-resourced fleet.
Deputy Nash said: “An issue that is raised with me time and again, is how unreliable certain bus routes in our town have become for those using them. From tardiness to ghost buses that leave passengers stranded at the bus stop, the stories have become all too familiar.
“For some time now, I have been pushing the NTA on this issue and this week, I received a detailed response from the authority that clearly shows, the routes are under-resourced.”
The Louth Labour TD said: “The NTA admitted local routes like the D1, D4 and others were under-performing. The NTA told me that the reliability of services in Drogheda ‘has been poor in recent months’.
“The NTA has issued an apology to all passengers impacted by the ongoing reliability issues on local services and says the poor performance has been down to bus fleet availability, with a significant number of buses of the road at any one time due to mechanical issues. I know this from local Bus Eireann drivers who work really hard, are proud of the important work they do and are increasingly frustrated themselves with the poor state of the fleet. Drogheda deserves better. ”
Deputy Nash added: “While the apology is welcome, that’s not getting anyone to their place of work or to the local shops or to hospital. What we need now is action and investment to improve the service.
“To that end, the NTA says it is currently meeting with Bus Eireann senior management on a weekly basis in relation to their performance and has asked them to focus on addressing mechanical issues affecting bus services in Drogheda and elsewhere.”
The Louth Labour TD concluded: “Ultimately, this is an under-investment issue and the fault for that lies not only at the NTA’s door but with their paymasters in government. We need investment so these clapped-out buses we’re depending on can be upgraded.
“The next time you are waiting at a bus stop and the bus is late or does not arrive at all, I suggest that you take the time to remind their local government representatives of the need to properly invest in our town’s public transport services and get Drogheda moving again.”
