There has been a 31 per cent increase in the fare for the 304 bus route which has operated between the University of Limerick (UL) and Limerick city centre in the past five years.
According to the timetable set by Bus Éireann buses are due to arrive every fifteen minutes, however this is not always the case
Delays of up to forty-five minutes have been reported resulting in students arriving late to lectures.
University of Limerick Students’ Union VP Academic Officer, Marian O’Donnell said: “The majority of students have to suffer a forty-five minute delay instead of fifteen minutes. This stops students going into the city. In the last four years fares have risen each year and services haven’t improved.
“This has had a real impact on students; with them coming to lectures late and being late for buses home on Fridays.”
A second private service was acquired by Dublin Coach in December. The new route will cater for the same route and is expected to compete with Bus Éireann competition on reliability and cost.
Students have seen a ten cent increase each year over the last five years with no clear improvement in the service. The price is now €2.10 per single adult ticket.
A Bus Éireann spokeswoman said the fare increases had been approved by the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority (NTA).
She also explained the benefits of using Leap Cards, introduced onto all Limerick City Services in early 2015, adding that holders of Leap Cards can avail of a discount of 24 per cent compared with the current cash single fare.
According to the 304 Bus Éireann timetable, buses are due to arrive every fifteen minutes between 7am and 8pm, and every 30 minutes thereafter until 11.30pm on weekdays.
When enquiries were made about the frequent delays in the 304 bus service, the spokesperson explained that congestion had the biggest impact on the reliability of buses. It was stated that additional resources were deployed “where possible”.
The NTA is understood to be reviewing this route in conjunction with Bus Éireann.
Apart from complaints about punctuality, some students have claimed the buses are subject to overcrowding.
When asked about overcrowding and whether Bus Éireann has a policy in relation to the number of passengers permitted on each bus, the spokesperson explained that “overcrowding is not permitted by Bus Éireann”.
She said: “Each city bus has its own certified maximum seating and standing capacity at which they can operate.”
According to the spokesperson, the “standard capacity for city buses is 86 passengers and the capacity consists of 45 seated and 41 standing passengers”.
As it stands, no major improvements have been announced by the NTA or Bus Éireann in relation to the current standard of service.
Information in relation to Leap Cards can be found on www.leapcard.ie and www.studentleapcard.ie.
