Around €130,000 was invested by Galway City Council to cover the cost of running its temporary Park & Ride service last December – a loss-making operation designed to take private cars off the roads.

The Christmas Park & Ride operation in 2023 cost the local authority €129,314, according to invoices obtained by the Galway City Tribune through Freedom of Information (FOI).

City Hall, in response to requests for comment, said a total of 7,813 passengers used the service between December 8 and Christmas Eve, 2023 – which equates to a cost of around €16 per passenger.

Fares were €1 per person each way, which included all-day parking at Galway Racecourse and a bus from there into Fairgreen Coach Station. Children and pensioners travelled free. The maximum amount of revenue that could have been raised from fares was €15,626, although it was likely to be far less when concessions were included.

The Council said the service helped to ease traffic congestion during the busiest three weeks of the year for retail and hospitality.

It said it provided the service through a partnership with Galway Coach Station, Galway Racecourse and Callinan Coaches.

Documents obtained through FOI reveal Callinan Coaches invoiced some €89,206 to provide the buses.

Fairgreen Coach Station, who provided 780 loading bay reservations fees for departures, and 780 loading bay reservations for arrivals from December 8-24, invoiced a total of €19,188.
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