There is anger in parts of Inishowen this morning in what has been described as ‘second class treatment’ for the peninsula.
The concern expressed comes following the departure of Northwest Busways from the Inishowen to Letterkenny route.
The publication of the new bus timetables have been revealed in recent days but Donegal Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said the bus service needed to be properly funded by the government.
“This is a real patch-up job,” Senator Mac Lochlainn said.
“Since the publication of the new timetables, I have been contacted by people across Inishowen pointing out the loss of services to their area.
“(The) worst affected are the people of Clonmany, Balyliffin, Malin, Culdaff and Gleneely.
“When it was made public that Northwest Busways were pulling out of the routes, I made urgent representations to the National Transport Authority (NTA) and they confirmed that the routes are what are called Public Service Obligation routes where they are socially necessary but not economically viable.”
He added: “So why have they handed some of this route back to another private operator who has to think of making a profit rather than maintain the service to the public with all the stops and times and days that they rely on?
This is nonsense,” Mac Lochlainn stated.
“Inishowen has no routes covered by Bus Éireann or CIE, the State subsidised operators. Local Link is state subsidised so why have they not been given the full responsibility for running a service seven days a week connecting all communities across Inishowen to Letterkenny?
“I will be challenging the Minister for Transport, Shane Ross to review these recent decisions by the National Transport Authority that fly in the face of logic or reason.
“This is second class citizenship again for the people of Donegal.
“The Inishowen to Letterkenny bus service should be properly resourced by the government.”
