Big jump in numbers taking the bus in Galway

The Bus Éireann fleet across the city saw a 9.3% increase in passenger numbers last year despite a fare hikes. That was on top of a 14% increase the year before.

The massive growth has stunned bus management, who instituted a radical overhaul of the bus routes in March 2012.

The steady growth of 2013 is set to continue, with the numbers increasing by an average of 7% in the first five months of this year, according to Bus Éireann headquarters in Dublin.

The most up to date figures show approximately 3.5 million passengers travelled on the city’s Bus Eireann buses for 2013.

The complete overhaul of the bus network saw routes change to more direct runs in and out of Eyre Square, straightening out the routes and making the timetable easier to follow by making buses leave on the hour or half hour.

The fleet was also improved and the timetable adapted to ensure the buses had enough time built into the schedule to minimise possible delays.

While there was no real increase in the number of buses, they were used more efficiently. The use of 20 real time display boards has also proved popular among the public, already achieving 96% accuracy.

“We’ve seen a massive increase, it’s been phenomenal. It’s surprised even ourselves,” exclaimed Bus Éireann Regional Manager Brian Connolly.

“We improved reliability and we made the system easier to use so we expected numbers to go up. But when you think the 409 Doughiska bus carries 1.1m passengers annually in a city of 75,000, it’s huge.”

More double decker buses will be added to the busiest routes this year to ensure peak-time buses are more comfortable. The routes that will likely benefit from the extra capacity include the 409 (Doughiska), 402 (Knocknacarra to Merlin Park) and the 405 (Ballybane).

In the Autumn, smartcards will be introduced, which will give passengers greater discounts if they pre-purchase journeys. In the last three years, the use of weekly or monthly travel passes has doubled, Mr Connolly revealed.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel