Are city bus services set to go back to normal?

A number of Cork city bus routes are to resume full service next month following last year’s driver shortage.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that Cork city routes 202/202A, 205 and 208 will resume their full timetable from 2 February.

Route 202/202A will returns to every 20 mins from every 30 mins, route 205 returns to every 15 mins from every 20 mins, and route 208 returns to every 10 mins from every 15 mins.

Reduced frequency timetables were introduced last October due to driver recruitment challenges face by Bus Éireann.

Ireland's national bus service also confirmed that bus route 220 is currently undergoing a timetable review which will address ongoing punctuality and reliability issues. The route will continue to operate according to its current timetable. It is anticipated a new 220 service timetable will be in place by late April.

A Bus Éireann spokesperson said: “As a result of ongoing intensive recruitment efforts, we have developed a strong pipeline joining our driver training school and are now at a point where we can resume full service on the 202/202A, 205 and 208 routes.

“Traffic congestion still remains an operational challenge with just 2% our service kilometres delivered through bus lanes in Cork city.

“Again, we would like to apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused over the last number of months and we look forward to delivering further improved levels of service to our customers in Cork in 2025,” the spokesperson added.

In 2024, Bus Éireann carried 16.5 million passenger journeys across its Cork services, an increase of 364,000 on the previous year. In December alone, the service recorded a 14% increase in passenger journeys compared to December 2023.

Bus Éireann is currently working closely with the National Transport Authority (NTA) to facilitate the rollout of Bus Connects Cork.