“Kerry customers are being taken for a ride when it comes to public transport in the county and it’s not cheap either,” according to Kerry County Councillor Jackie Healy Rae who has launched a stinging attack on both Bus Éireann and Irish Rail services.
Cllr Healy Rae has hit out at the astronomical costs facing some Kerry GAA fans on Saturday next when taking public transport to Dublin.
Public Transport Costs To Dublin
“With return Irish Rail trains from Tralee to Dublin Heuston costing €84.98 for an eight-hour round trip and Bus Eireann fares costing €58.00 for a journey that forces customers to change in Cork for a trip that takes over seven hours.
“I find it beyond belief that people can fly return to and from Dublin for just under €50 in a journey time that takes just under an hour,”
Lessening the Carbon Footprint
“I’m not sure who is trying to kid whom when it comes to transport but a bus trip from Kerry to Dublin that takes longer than a flight from Dublin to New York is beyond infuriating.
How a train fare that costs almost double an airfare in this day and age when all the Government talk about is lessening the Carbon footprint is something that needs to be explained, why in God’s name would I bother taking a train or bus over driving my own car or even taking a flight when both are cheaper and more time efficient”.
Traversing Transport Sites
Councillor Healy Rae spent the afternoon traversing the online transport sites to also felt that interacting with the website for the bus services is shocking, absolutely sickening.
“As someone who is good with computers my head was fried from trying to navigate it.
“What would it be like for a customer who is still only coming to terms with online bookings or for tourists getting around the country. It is not designed to be user friendly, that is for sure,” he said.
Full Meeting of County Council
Cllr Healy Rae has said that he will be calling both Bus Eireann and Irish Rail to meet with Kerry County Councill before a full meeting before years end to explain the poor service and huge costs that Kerry customers face in comparison with those enjoyed by many urban customers who are able to put public transport at the heart of their daily lives.
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