Coach operators to protest at Cliffs of Moher opening
Coach operators are set to protest at the new rates they will be forced to pay at the new Cliffs of Moher visitor centre which will be officially opened by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today.
The facilities charge scheme, shortly to be introduced at the site of the new €31.5m Cliffs of Moher visitor centre project, has been developed following extensive consultation with coach and tour operators and represents exceptional value for money.
"We have engaged in extensive discussions with coach operators over a long period of time," said project leader for Clare County Council's 'Cliffs of Moher New Visitor Experience' team Ger Dollard.
"The final charging structure set out by Clare County Council represents a significant shift in our initial proposed pricing policy and is, in our view, an exceptionally positive response to the issues being raised by operators," he added.
"Clare County Council has changed its proposed charging structure on two occasions following on from representations from coach operators. The final charging approach provides for a significant discount for volume business and is based on a per-passenger rather than a per-seat charge. Clare County Council is satisfied that the charges more than represent value for money.
"For coach passengers on a coach carrying 50 people, it represents a charge of €1.20 per passenger which taken with the discount scheme can be further reduced to a charge of 92c per passenger. The Council is not in a position to offer individual incentives to coach operators as part of any package."
