OPINION: With Kilkenny bus links to be cut, 'I feel like I’m speaking to the void'

When cuts were made to the railway network across Ireland in the 1960s it was rural Ireland who fared worst.

Here in County Kilkenny, the towns of Gowran, Ballyhale, and Mullinavat all lost their railway stations. A bus replacement was seen as a good enough alternative.

And that is how it has been for the last 60-plus years. Buses. The only connection these rural areas have with Kilkenny, Waterford, and Dublin.

But the recent announcement by Expressway, that it is to cut its Waterford to Dublin/Dublin Airport service, the only link these towns had with the capital, is, as Deputy ‘Chap’ Cleere told me, ‘a kick in the teeth to rural Ireland’.

READ NEXT: 'More consideration' on Abbey Quarter 'needed' amid 'critical' time for Kilkenny

Living near Thomastown, I was a regular user of the Route 4 bus. I’m lucky enough to still have the train as an option, and this is my preferred way of travelling to Dublin for both college and leisure.

Early in my course I decided I would travel by train to class — it was cheaper and it worked with my schedule.

If I had a 9am class, I would take the 6.16am train. If I had an 11am class, I would take the 08.11am train. But when I had a 10am class, then I had two choices.

The train which leaves Waterford at 6.55am skips Thomastown entirely. I could either drive to Kilkenny and get the 7.28am train, or get the Expressway bus from outside the old Bank of Ireland in Thomastown.

Personally, I prefer the train. It offers me the space to get work done, it’s punctual, and the timings suit most of my class. But when I needed it, the bus was always there for me.

Is the bus perfect? No. It could be delayed, and, depending on what service you’re on, you may be faced with miles of traffic the closer you get to Dublin.

One time, I recall, the bus looped around a roundabout near the Red Cow. Why? I still cannot explain. It’s not as if we were ahead of schedule.

READ NEXT: 'We are invincible' - Popular Kilkenny business reopens after devastating setback

For all the complaining that I could do about the bus, I am still very glad to have it. It’s an option for me that’s there when I need it.

When there was an incident on the railway line, stopping all services from Heuston, I could still make it home thanks to the bus.

Losing Route 4 is a massive mistake. It’s the same story again for those of us outside of Dublin, isn’t it? I’m lucky to still have the train. The key word there is lucky.

But for the people of Mullinavat, Ballyhale, and Gowran, who have already lost their other connections to Dublin, Expressway Route 4 was their lifeline.

A lifeline for students travelling to Carlow, for patients travelling to Dublin for appointments, for someone looking for a cheap way to the airport, to visit their children abroad, without having to drive.

The independence this bus offered for people who can’t drive will be lost.

In this time of climate crisis the government is encouraging people to switch to public transport. And with fuel costs rising around the globe, advisory groups are encouraging people to use public transport to save on fuel.

How can we encourage people to use public transport when it is being cut from beneath them?

Expressway, who state they are a commercial entity which receives no funding for these services, cite ‘continuing significant losses’ for the decision.

READ NEXT: Meet Caroline from Kilkenny - Primary school teacher by day and lifesaver by night

Of course, a bus where a handful of people get on at each stop, is not economically viable. But the key thing about public transport is in the name: public transport.

These services are a lifeline to their respective communities.

Without them three things will happen: Those who can drive will drive to their nearest train station. Some who can drive will forfeit public transport and drive to wherever they need to go. Those who can’t drive, and depend on the bus to get around, will be cut off and will once again depend on taxis, or a lift from family or friends, and we all know how hard it is to get a taxi in rural Ireland.

The outrage from local representatives over this announcement is just, and hopefully they succeed in petitioning the government, the NTA, and Bus Éireann to reinstate this service or offer a replacement.

As someone who tries to encourage people to use public transport, to keep these services going and for the environmental benefits, I sometimes feel like I’m speaking to the void. How can I convince people to use public transport when their options are being taken away?

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS