A LIMERICK woman has had to give up her job because there is no bus or train service that is timely for working people commuting to Nenagh in County Tipperary.
Noreen Waters was delighted to take up a new job in Nenagh Hospital, but, she told the Limerick Post, the timing of public transport meant she arrived nearly two hours before she was due to start her shift and had to wait more than an hour at the other end of the day.
“On top of that, the bus takes an hour and a half to get to and from Nenagh. It’s a journey of 30 minutes in a car,” she told the Limerick Post.
“I had to be up to catch a 6.45am bus. That was the only service that got me there in time for work, but I was in Nenagh way before my start time”.
This newspaper checked the advertised timetable and the next scheduled bus leaves Limerick at 9.45 am – too late for a 9am shift.
“After work, I had to wait an hour and 45 minutes for a bus back. After six weeks of it, I was completely shattered. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I had to give up my job,” Noreen said.
Now unemployed and in her late 50s, Noreen says she can’t see many employers willing to take her on.
“There was a group of us all in the same boat. I suggested we could maybe hire a GoCar between all of us but when we contacted them, there wasn’t enough cars available for that to work,” she explained.
To add insult to injury, Noreen says that with a lot of time on her hands she likes to go for a cycle, but two weeks ago she was told she couldn’t take her fold-up bike on a Transport for Ireland bus.
“I was going to go for a cycle in the Clare Glens. You can’t cycle that road out of Limerick to Murroe, it’s far too dangerous,” she says.
“I had taken my bike on the bus before – it slots into the luggage area when it’s folded up and I tie it down, but that morning the driver just said ‘no’.”
Noreen wrote to the company but says all she received in reply was a copy of a policy statement.
“What does ‘at the driver’s discretion’ mean?” Noreen asks.
“Does it mean what kind of mood the driver is in? What happens if you get to Murroe and the driver coming back doesn’t allow you on?
“My bike is an electrical assist bike. It’s not one of those bikes that the battery can explode – it’s perfectly safe.”
In response to the issue of timing on the Nenagh bus, a spokesperson said “the National Transport Authority continuously reviews timetables and services to ensure they meet the needs of the public. We welcome all feedback, and while any changes are subject to available funding and resources, we remain committed to delivering improvements where possible.”
Bus Éireann did not return a request for comment on the issue of bikes on board transport routes.