Bus pass fiasco may leave Galway pupils in the lurch

Delays in issuing annual bus passes has caused widespread anxiety among students and parents across Galway ahead of the new school term, which starts this week.

Local families fear a repeat of the ‘fiasco’ that occurred last September when many teenagers were waiting a month and a half before their bus passes were issued.

Bus Éireann, who administers the scheme, has blamed a technical glitch for the hold-up in issuing school bus tickets this year.

But parents claim it was the same scenario last year, and they are angry that it is being repeated.

“It’s a joke. There was war over this last year as well. It’s the same story – they are claiming it is an IT glitch but the same thing happened last year. I ended up having to drive my son into school every day for a month and a half because that’s how long the delay in issuing the ticket was.

“We had to pay the €350 for the year, yet for the first month and a half we were driving him in to Galway. There was no refund to make up for losing out on the first month and a half. We’ve been told this year that they will issue us with an email, for proof of payment, and that will be accepted on the buses as a temporary ticket but last year the bus inspector was rigid – nobody was allowed on the bus without a ticket,” the concerned mother said.

In this instance the teenager travels from South Connemara into Galway City for secondary school but it is understood the problem is countywide and indeed nationwide.

This mother insists she had paid up and register by the deadline of July 25, which was extended to August 1.

“To make it worse, you cannot get through to the office, they’re not answering the phone and it’s not open to the public. I spoke to one mother, and she actually got the ticket this week, but she showed me her phone and she had made over 50 phone calls to the school transport office – they’re not answering. It’s just frustrating.

“They’ll all be giving out about traffic and the increase in traffic due to the schools being back this week and next but it will be compounded by parents who are driving their children to school because the bus tickets haven’t been issued in time again this year. Last year you had half empty buses going into the city for a month and a half, at the same time parents were driving them. It’s crazy.”

Bus Éireann, in a statement, blamed a technical glitch on the delays. The problem related to the type of internet software of customers registering to pay.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 tickets have yet to be issued nationally. Bus Éireann’s temporary helpline is 1800 945 945.