Survey of Cork bus network users sought amid safety fears

Safety surveys of people who use the bus network in Cork are needed, the chair of Cork City Council's transport committee has said.

It comes as a national survey by the National Transport Authority(NTA) shows that half of all passengers on public transport have felt unsafe at least once.

The Public Transport Passenger Personal Security Report 2025 also records that 82% of users have witnessed some form of anti-social behaviour, 15% have experienced verbally aggressive behaviour, and 10% physically aggressive behaviour.

A visible garda presence on public transport and at stations is the most preferred strategy for improving safety, with a third of respondents ranking it as the most effective measure.

While there are no Cork specific figures for incidents, under the report’s actions for 2026, Bus Éireann says it will review the standards of bus stations including in Cork.

Enhancements to safety features 

It comes as The Echo recently revealed that Bus Éireann have spent nearly €800,000 on Parnell Place bus station in the last five years, on refurbishments, improvements to staff and customer facilities, and enhancements to safety features.

Cork’s Dermot O’Leary, general secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union (NRBU), recently told The Echo that antisocial behaviour on public transport had become the norm.

“Some bus drivers have left the industry because of this, some have found themselves out ill for a long period on the back of assaults,” he said, adding that services have to be withdrawn when incidents occur.

Mr O’Leary said the 203 route in Cork “is very much a problem”, with drivers asking how long can they continue to operate the service with the incidents that are happening there on a daily basis. Labour’s Peter Horgan, chair of Cork City Council’s Transport Committee, has said there should be regional studies into passenger and staff safety on public transport.

He said that the NTA report gives valuable national evidence, but we now need to understand what is happening on individual networks, routes, and at individual transport hubs, in an independent factual manner.

“A national average can hide very real local problems. We need properly conducted regional studies, carried out in consultation with passengers, frontline workers, operators, local authorities, and An Garda Síochána,” he said.