BusConnects Cork 'dead in the water' due to shortage of drivers
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A key element of BusConnects Cork is “dead in the water”, it has been claimed, following confirmation that Bus Éireann, which is already struggling with a driver shortage, needs another 120 drivers to deliver the city’s proposed new bus network.
An existing driver shortage has contributed to a raft of cuts to services on the city’s high-frequency bus routes in recent weeks, prompting a targeted recruitment campaign.
But the National Transport Authority (NTA) has confirmed the need for an additional 40 to 50 drivers in Cork between February and August next year if there is any chance of delivering a reliable bus service, with a further 80 drivers required by January 2026 to deliver the first phase of the new bus network proposed under BusConnects.
Sinn Féin TD for Cork North-Central, Thomas Gould, said that means Cork needs at least 120 drivers over the next 12 months, if no driver retires or quits in the meantime.
“To actually deliver the current routes, they need 50 extra drivers,” he said.
“They can’t recruit drivers as it is. In my opinion, right now, BusConnects in Cork is dead in the water.”
The driver shortage and recruitment situation proves that there is no light at the end of the tunnel for the city’s “bus service crisis”, he said, pointing to recent examples of how commuters have been affected.
In one case, a man was left standing at a 214 bus stop and was 90 minutes late to college because of two consecutive cancelled services.
Bus Éireann said those buses were cancelled because the service from CUH to Glanmire was so delayed at 9.30am, that the return route was just cancelled.
“I am sick and tired of outlining to the NTA that these timetables are not deliverable,” Mr Gould said.
“Bus drivers on this route have three minutes to travel the Lower Glanmire road with four stops, and one minute to drive into Kent Station, stop, and then get to the next stop, all in peak traffic.
“All of the bus drivers in the world won’t fix the issues with the timetables.”
In a statement, Bus Éireann said it is working closely with the NTA to facilitate the rollout of BusConnects Cork, with a target launch date of late 2025 or early 2026, and that it is seeing a “strong response” to its ongoing intensive recruitment efforts.
“We currently have 21 trainees progressing through our driver training school in Cork,” a spokesperson said.
“We will be increasing our recruitment campaigns in early 2025 to ensure we are in a position to to deliver BusConnects to the people of Cork City.”