COMMUTING workers would be left stranded if the cancellation of the evening bus service between Galway and Ballinasloe goes ahead.

That’s according to Cllr Evelyn Parsons, who said that there was outrage in Ballinasloe that this service is due to be terminated this week.

At a meeting of Ballinasloe Municipal Council, she headed calls for the 6.30pm Citylink 763 service out of Galway to be maintained, after plans were announced to end it later this month.

It currently serves commuters with stops in Oranmore, Craughwell, Loughrea, Kilreekil and Ballinasloe.

Cllr Parsons told the meeting that this is the third service from Galway to Ballinasloe to be cancelled – with reference to the recent losses of the Bus Eireann and Aircoach services.

Cllr Parsons described as “outrageous” the lack of accessibility from Galway city to Ballinasloe and particularly in the evenings.

She told the recent meeting of Ballinasloe Municipal Council that the latest cancellation of the Galway to Ballinasloe service was intolerable.

“This fresh cut to the Citylink route is extremely worrying for East Galway, Ballinasloe, and beyond,” she said.

“In a Just Transition area where livelihoods from peat extraction have ceased, public transport cuts are forcing reliance on cars, damaging public trust and showing disregard for people in the West.”

The matter had earlier been raised at a meeting of the Loughrea Municipal Council, where Cllr Shane Curley said that the move flew in the face of commitments made as part of the Council’s Climate Action Plan.

Cllr Curley said he had already received several representations – from students in particular who would now have to drive or get a lift to university in Galway, adding to congestion on county and city roads.

“It is in our Climate Action Plan that we need to reduce the number of car kilometres – and here we are, doing our best to increase them [by reducing bus services]. It makes no sense,” he said.

If the cut goes ahead, it means that the last bus serving this route would now depart at 6pm, which would leave many students in particular struggling to make it in time to the Coach Station.

Pictured: Cllr Evelyn Parsons…bus demand.