Bus Eireann disappointed by unofficial strike
Bus Eireann today said it was very disappointed by unofficial strike action which has left up to 5,000 passengers without transport in Galway city.
Around 120 bus drivers are protesting over the addition of a private contractor on a school bus route, and as a result no city services or Expressway routes out of Galway city are running.
The drivers stopped work yesterday lunchtime after a meeting with management failed to reach a solution.
But Bus Eireann said the extra bus, which has been provided for safety reasons to accommodate a growing number of children using the route, did not affect the other drivers.
A spokeswoman for the company said it made no financial sense to purchase a brand new bus and hire a full time driver for a route which would only operate for a couple of hours a day.
“We hire in private buses – it’s part and parcel of the way we do business,” she said.
