Almost 6,000 complaints were submitted to the National Transport Authority about delayed, cancelled or so-called “ghost” buses in just the first five months of this year, the Oireachtas transport committee has heard.
Ghost buses are services that disappear from live timetables, leaving passengers stranded without notice. The NTA received 5,984 complaints about bus services up to May 19, a dramatic increase from 1,565 complaints in the same period last year. However, the NTA clarified that most 2024 complaints went directly to operators, while this year’s figures reflect a new Transport for Ireland complaints centre.
Labour transport spokesman Ciarán Ahern described the numbers as “very concerning”, warning that unreliable services could push people back into their cars. “If you want people to switch to public transport, you need to be able to rely on the bus services,” he said.
NTA research shows car usage actually increased from 70.1% in 2012 to 71.3% in 2024, while bus and coach usage fell from 4.2% to 3.9% over the same period.
NTA interim chief executive Hugh Creegan told the committee that congestion is a major issue affecting transport delivery nationwide. He cited congestion, traffic incidents and staff unavailability as causes of frequent cancellations.
GoAhead managing director Dervla McKay called congestion the “largest ongoing challenge” for urban bus services, pointing to improper use of bus lanes, overcrowded streets, roadworks and related issues affecting punctuality.
Bus Éireann CEO Stephen Kent highlighted infrastructure difficulties, noting that only 2% of Cork’s bus routes operate in dedicated bus lanes despite it being the company’s largest urban service.