A decision by Local Link to service only designated bus stops in Waterford has been described as a “total disaster” by outraged locals. 

Until recently, buses were able to stop and pick up passengers along their route between towns and villages; however, larger vehicles mean this is no longer feasible. 

“We are introducing services under the Connecting Ireland Plan,” Waterford Local Link manager James O’Donoghue told Henry McKean for Newstalk Breakfast. 

“It’s an excellent scheme in terms of connecting larger communities; in terms of doing that we’re now using large buses and of course then we can only stop at designated stops. 

“Unfortunately, the people that lost the service are living in areas that the bus can no longer service because it’s too large to actually get down those roads.” 

For many Local Link users in Waterford, the decision has caused huge disruption in their personal lives. 

Where once, it was easy to jump on a bus and head into town, now the journey to the bus stop is a trip in itself. 

“We had a super bus service, a rural bus service, that was introduced here a few years ago here,” Maurice Power from Ardmore explained. 

“It collected the rural people from the villages and went through the rural country to the main towns - the local town here would be Dungarvan.

“So, anybody who wanted the bus would be able to pop out, hail the bus, hop on and brought us to our destination to visit a doctor or do the shopping or to meet people. 

“Then you get the bus back and you were dropped back where you were stopped.” 

'Four or five kilometres to meet a bus'

Mr Power said the Government subsidy of the bus service meant it was a “very reasonable” and a “super service” for older people in particular. 

“All of a sudden, at one stroke, one Monday morning, no stop,” he said. 

“And we have to walk now, four or five kilometres to meet a bus in the local village or walk to the local town.

“Between the villages and towns, there’s no stops.” 

'Halfway to Dungarvan'

Another rural Waterford resident, Barry Power described it as a “total disaster” for rural residents. 

“We’re out in rural Ireland and the nearest bus stop is 3.6 miles away,” he said. 

Mr Power said that distance is “halfway to Dungarvan” and at that point he plans to just keep driving. 

“I want it put back the same as it was,” he urged. 

“[Where] they stop at the end of my road for me and my wife and brings her to Dungarvan or to Ardmore.” 

Mr O’Donoghue said Local Link is “actively working” with the National Transport Authority to come up with a solution that satisfies everyone. 

“We operate what we also call demand response services - those are using minibus - they don’t need to go to designated stops,” he said. 

“In fact, a lot of them stop at home, pick people up and bring them to town. 

“So, we’re trying to work out some way of bringing that service back to those people that will at least replace in some way the service that those people lost.” 

In the 2021 Climate Action Plan, the Government set out an aspiration to reduce the number of journeys made by private car from over 70% to 50% by the end of the decade.

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Main image: A coach on a hilly road in rural Ireland. Picture by: Alamy.com