City bus routes to be hit by job losses

Date Published: 23-Jan-2009

GALWAY City and inter-city bus routes could be facing major cutbacks within the next month, following the announcement of a severe cost-cutting plan by Bus Éireann.

The semi-State company announced this week it is to shed 320 jobs and reduce its fleet by 150 across the country, with up to fifteen buses to be withdrawn from the streets of Galway.

However, workers in Galway City have not yet been told how the cutbacks will affect services here. A spokesperson for Bus Éireann told the Galway City Tribune that details of the curtailment will not be announced publicly until workers and trade unions have been told.

“We are reviewing all routes and will be informing individual staff groups and trade unions as soon as possible. It would not be appropriate to discuss those with the media before then. We need to sit down with the individual groups first.

“Any changes that area made, we will be informing the public well in advance. We plan to…