Moran: Bus staff shortages an ‘absolute disaster’

A Cork city councillor has expressed concern that staff shortages in Bus Éireann could compromise the planned expansion of Cork’s bus network.

Green Party councillor Oliver Moran voiced the opinion at a council meeting this week — the last before the summer recess.

He tabled a motion, which was unanimously agreed, proposing that Cork City Council would write to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan “outlining the severe difficulties in recruiting bus drivers in the city”.

Mr Moran said that the correspondence should state that Bus Éireann has informed elected members that a shortfall of 35 drivers exists to meet existing service levels, with 16 drivers currently in driver training with the company and that these recruitments will “meet only existing service-level demands”.

The motion further proposed that the letter should request that the Department of Transport would engage with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment “to remove barriers to the recruitment of drivers from overseas, including the addition of bus drivers to the Critical Skills Occupations List”.

“Nine months ago, we had Bus Éireann before us at the transport committee and they told us then that there was no issue with staffing levels in Bus Éireann in the city,” Mr Moran said at the meeting.

“We discovered last week or the week before last that they are 35 drivers short and they have no plans to expand the staffing levels to deal with expansion of the city bus network.”

Mr Moran described the shortage of drivers as an “absolute disaster” for transport plans for the city and claimed that some people are losing confidence in Bus Éireann, adding: “What has me incredibly worried is that for the first time among people who are serious about public transport, I am beginning to hear very serious questions about whether Bus Éireann is actually fit for purpose at all in this city.

“Unless we get to the bottom and provide answers to the solutions of staffing levels, which Bus Éireann don’t appear to have any grip over, in my opinion, then we are not looking at BusConnects this time next year, we are looking at the same service without it being expanded.”

The new design for the Cork Metropolitan bus network is expected to commence implementation from 2025 subject to funding and resource availability.

It will provide an increase in bus services in Cork, including the provision of bus services to previously unserved areas such as such as Upper Glanmire, Waterfall, and Kerry Pike.

A number of councillors at Monday’s meeting raised issues with the reliability of the current bus service, including Labour councillor Laura Harmon.

“I’ve had people tell me they’ve been late for work — as other people have said — late for work, late for school, people telling me they’ve been late for dates, they’ve been late for all different things,” she said.

“It’s impacting on people’s lives.”

A spokesperson for Bus Éireann told The Echo that a briefing session was held with local Cork public reps on June 25 and the driver shortage then was 35.

“This is a live figure and regularly changes due to recruitment, promotions, retirements etc,” the spokesperson said.

“There are a number of drivers currently progressing through the Cork driver training school.

“This is supported by our ongoing intensive driver recruitment campaigns and regular driver open evenings.”

The spokesperson added that efforts to recruit drivers are under way, but that recruitment is an “ongoing difficulty”.

The shortage of drivers, the spokesperson said, is down to factors such as a “very competitive market and a lack of D licence holders”.

“We are continuing to review and expand our approach and targeting drivers in international markets is now part of our strategy,” the spokesperson concluded.