Outcry as family bus firm serving rural Waterford folds
Routes Waterford’s October Cease Transport Passage Withdraw Waterford Public East, On City From East Dunmore 31 Linking Will Will Pany Suirway Operations And Its To And Portlaw,
Falling passenger numbers and the need for investment in electric vehicles have sunk a bus company providing services to rural County Waterford for over 100 years.
Waterford’s Suirway company will withdraw from its public transport routes linking Waterford city to Dunmore East, Portlaw, and Passage East and will cease operations on October 31.
The third-generation family business, based in Passage East, is licensed by the Department of Transport.
The withdrawal has been met with an outcry in local communities and the National Transport Authority (NTA) said finding a replacement operator is a "high priority".
Suirway owner Brian Lynch said he was grateful to "all our customers for their valued support over the last 123 years".
The company employs about 20 people and has nine vehicles.
Mr Lynch said a drop in passenger numbers since Covid, combined with the loss of clients for its private coaching service and increasing fuel costs, made carrying on "unsustainable".
Mr Lynch said the investment required to convert his fleet to electric would be exorbitant, and criticised the NTA for having "very little discussion" on how to ease the costs of private bus operators.
The Government has a target of achieving zero emissions by 2032 for its public transport fleet. It launched a five-year plan during the summer that will see 800 all-electric buses being introduced to the fleet, starting with Dublin and Limerick.
"Currently a new diesel-powered coach is €300,000 to €400,000 — multiply that by two if you want to go electric," Mr Lynch said.
"We know there's going to be problems getting the electric infrastructure in for charging buses, and you see very little discussion at NTA level at how they would provide electric charging infrastructure for private operators.
Dunmore East native Richard Finnegan said the loss, even temporary, would be disastrous.
"Dunmore is seeing an increase in population. It's a town now but it doesn't have the services of a town," he said.
"In reality, the argument was for the service to be expanded from its seven routes a day, rather than disbanded.
"We need a fully functioning, viable, affordable bus service for the village. There needs to be State intervention because there cannot be a cessation of bus services to Dunmore."
Portlaw-based Independent councillor Declan Clune said the news came as a shock: "I know, having spoken directly to Brian, that this is a decision he has wrestled with for a long time but it is simply not sustainable to maintain the service.
"All efforts must now go into finding a replacement service to cater for rural County Waterford."
Waterford TD David Cullinane demanded Transport Minister Eamon Ryan intervene to ensure east Waterford is not "disconnected", while People Before Profit representative Una Dunphy said the news was "symbolic" of how the current model of public transport infrastructure "must adapt swiftly or fail" in the face of climate change.