A Galway County Councillor has called for an urgent review of the 424 bus service operating along the R336 – serving communities from Galway City through Bearna to An Cheathrú Rua and Leitir Mealláin – following what he claimed were a series of breakdowns and reliability issues.

Cllr Noel Thomas described the 424 as one of the most heavily used and essential public transport routes in Galway, relied upon daily by people travelling to work, school, college and essential services.

“This is not a marginal service. The 424 is a core transport link for large and growing communities along the R336,” he said.

“When a bus breaks down, the impact is immediate — people are late for work, children are delayed getting to school, and the entire road network is disrupted,” he added.

Cllr Thomas claimed that recent incidents – including breakdowns that have blocked sections of the R336 – have raised serious concerns about the suitability of the current fleet operating on the route.

“If we are serious about encouraging people out of their cars and onto public transport, then the service has to be reliable. That starts with a modern, fit-for-purpose fleet that can meet demand and operate consistently on this route,” he said.

In a statement, Bus Éireann confirmed one recent breakdown – on December 30 – when, they said, ‘passengers were carried as soon as possible on the next 424 service’.

A spokesman explained that the Galway/Leitir Mealláin 424 service is operated by Bus Éireann under its Direct Award Contract with the National Transport Authority, with the NTA determining timetable frequency, fleet and fares on the route.

“Currently, the fleet on Route 424 consists of low-floor single deck buses, featuring wheelchair access and a capacity of 47. Additionally, this fleet has been supplemented with two double deck buses which were transferred to the route earlier in 2025,” he said.

But Cllr Thomas claimed that capacity was also a recurring problem, with single-decker buses frequently reaching full capacity and leaving passengers behind.

“On a route like this, where demand is clearly there, we should be seeing greater use of double-decker buses so people are not left standing at the side of the road. A service that cannot take its passengers is not serving its purpose,” he said.

The Bus Éireann spokesman said that fleet allocation was determined by the National Transport Authority, which oversees the PSO network including services on Route 424.

“As with all routes, we will continue to monitor capacity and work in conjunction with the NTA with a view to continually improving service,” he added.

Cllr Thomas confirmed that he had written to Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority raising concerns about the reliability and capacity of the 424 service, calling for immediate action.

He said his correspondence also addressed the need to upgrade the frequency of the Galway–Clifden route, so that it can better serve high-population centres such as Moycullen and Oughterard, which continue to experience significant growth.

“These are areas where demand has outpaced service provision. Increasing frequency and deploying appropriate vehicles would make a real difference to commuters and would take pressure off the road network,” he said.

“People will use public transport when it works. But asking people to rely on a service that is regularly breaking down or unable to carry demand is simply not acceptable. It pushes people back into their cars and makes Galway’s traffic problems even worse,” he added.

Pictured: Bus call…Cllr Noel Thomas.