Ballina to Galway bus route retained

The Bus Éireann Galway to Ballina service has been saved following outrage over the decision to scrap the Expressway Route 52.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport and Galway East TD Sean Canney confirmed that a Public Service Obligation (PSO) will be put in place to maintain the service.

The PSO allows the State to support essential services that are not commercially viable.

"The service as an expressway was not viable. It was losing money, and it just couldn't continue without having some sort of support.

"So what the department have done is they're going to take that route out of service and put in a PSO route, which would be subsidised by the State. In some cases where you have expressways, they're run on their own, they don't need any subventions but when a service is losing money it cannot continue," said Minister Canney.

The service between Mayo and Galway stops in Foxford, Straide, Ballyvary, Castlebar, Breaffy, Balla, Claremorris, Ballindine, Milltown, Tuam, Baile Chláir and Galway city.

Mayo TD and Minister for Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary had pushed for the retention of the route following the Bus Eireann announcement The Ballina TD said the decision to cut the toute was met with has been met with widespread disappointment and he contacted both the National Trasport Authority and the Minister for Transport on the matter.

“As is the case with any commercial route withdrawals, the withdrawal of BÉ Expressway routes has now triggered the NTA’s PSO Determination process 

"In light of ongoing fuel price increases, the necessity of this service for hospital appointments, college goers and general connectivity of the region, it is vital that Route 52 is retained," he said.

The company announced previous notified the National Transport Authority (NTA) and customers that May 24, a number of Expressway services will be withdrawn including Route 52, Waterford – Dublin/Dublin Airport and Rosslare/Wexford – Waterford.

The company said the measures were in response to the continuous significant losses being incurred on these services.

“