Urgent call for 220 Cork city bus route to be put back in full service

Cork city is still down 174 buses a week compared to September 2024, with local councillors saying their areas “cannot wait until April” for reliable public transport.

Last Sunday, services returned to normal on the 202, 202A, 205, and 208 but the 220 is set to remain under its reduced timetable until April.

A Bus Éireann spokesperson explained that the 220 service is undergoing a timetable review, which will address the punctuality and reliability issues, and it is estimated that a new timetable will be in place by late April.

The 24-hour route saw a reduction of 32 buses between Monday and Friday and 14 on Saturdays, or a total of 174 buses weekly, as it went from running every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes under the changes.

Reversed

Peter Horgan, Labour councillor for the South East ward, said: “The service cuts that were implemented, especially on the 3m-plus passenger capacity services on the 220, need to be reversed so that there is a confidence-rebuilding mechanism for public transport, on the southside especially.

“The amount of reports I’ve received, and I’ve seen the buses myself, where they were full before getting anywhere near the city over the festive period underscores that the capacity should not have been diminished on those routes.

“We need to encourage people to utilise the bus services, especially on the southside where no rail option exists.

“We cannot expect commuters to wait until April.”

Neglected 

Joe Lynch, Sinn Féin councillor for the South West ward, said: “The 220 route, which I travel on myself almost daily, has been badly neglected by both Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority.

“With 174 less journeys per week compared to six months ago, it is not acceptable.

“The most frustrating thing about this is... despite improvements being promised in January 2024, services have deteriorated in that time.

“The current review being undertaken is a chance to fix things, and part of the solution is to reconfigure the route and deliver additional services at peak times.

“What people on the ground — who have to contend with less services, delays, and cancelled services — keep telling me is that the current 220 route is just too long.

“So a return to the old 232 route, which ran from Ballincollig to the city centre and back again, must be considered.”