The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Bus Éireann outlet closure in Killarney sparks anger
FIANNA Fáil Councillor Norma Moriarty has questioned Bus Éireann’s commitment to Kerry as its outlet in Killarney remains shut following the closure of ‘The Coffee Bus’ café.
While the station’s ticket office at Killarney Outlet Centre has been closed for almost two years, the outlet itself remained active until last weekend, when the café closed. Cllr Moriarty said that, following the closure of the office, the café manager would often welcome passengers and, in an unofficial capacity, field queries relating to the bus service. The café also provided service-users with a convenient place to stay indoors while they waited for the bus.
While Bus Éireann said it anticipates that this closure will be temporary, Cllr Moriarty said the current situation should have been easily avoided, and she lashed out at the way she feels Bus Éireann is treating Kerry.
“The café was very well located, with a good view of your bus as it came in,” she said. “There are places you can go in the Outlet Centre to sit down or have a cup of coffee, but you would be away from the bus stop.
“When the Outlet Centre is closed, you now have nowhere to wait except under two awnings at the front of the bus station, and you have no access to toilets.
“They were notified in April that the café owner would be retiring, and they still haven’t secured a tenant to take her place. Because it’s locked up, people have no access to the ticket machines, which are inside.
“In terms of Bus Éireann management structures, Kerry used to be a single entity, but an amalgamation of Cork and Kerry has left us as the poor relation,” she said.
She said she feels that Bus Éireann is running its Kerry operations into the ground and added that there appears to be no plans to upgrade the county’s bus fleet.
In a response to The Kerryman, Bus Éireann said it had no plans to have a staff member in place to open the station, adding that the outlet will remain shut until a new tenant is secured. It said the decision to close the ticket office to the public in 2017 was part of cost-cutting measures across the company and in line with passenger demand.
They also moved to reassure bus users that “It is anticipated that this closure will be temporary, and CIE’s property department are actively seeking a new tenant. Customers can still avail of all other facilities within the outlet centre, and all travel tickets can be purchased on-line at www.buseireann.ie or directly from the driver.”