With Bus Strike Blues in full force, writer Róise McGagh look at why there is a strike and where you can avail of alternative transport.
With Bus Éireann Strike disrupting travels last week and word of Dublin Bus and Iarnróid Éireann joining in on the action, we have to look at other methods of getting home for the weekend so those dirty sheets can get washed.
The strike is taking place due to management at Bus Éireann wanting to implement severe cuts in an attempt to ensure the companies survival. The changes due to be implemented include pay cuts, overtime cuts and changes to bus routes.
Unions representing workers at Bus Éireann aren’t happy with the measures proposed by management to save the company. Although they accept that ‘efficiency changes’ must be made, they say that the proposed changes disproportionately affect drivers.
Students, workers and anyone who commutes are pretty stuck as a result of the strike. With public buses being the most popular form of transport, especially for rural areas. The next most popular mode of transport is probably trains but considering that Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Tyrone and Fermanagh don’t have a rail service it’s not exactly accessible for everyone. Getting to a train station often takes a drive in a car, which a lot of people don’t have access too.
Private bus services might be our only salvation. Luckily there’s plenty of them covering the main towns in most counties. They are available on The National Journey Planner.
Rósie McGagh