BUS Eireann has hit back today over claims that Donegal people are getting cheaper bus fares that other customers.
Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone wanted to know why passengers between Donegal and Dublin were charged around 8c per kilometre whilst passengers between the capital and Navan are charged 22c per km.
“While I understand that the popularity and frequency of routes may have an impact on prices, I don’t think such large differences can be justified,” Noone said today.
“Bus Eireann runs 36 buses to and from Navan each day, and yet customers are being penalised with the highest price per kilometre. Other locations, close to the city, are also being hit by relatively high prices.
“The service to Newbridge works out at 20 cent a kilometre, whereas commuters travelling to Monaghan are charged just half this rate.”
Bus Éireann said however its fare structure is based on a graduated scale that relates to the fare paid to the distance of the journey travelled
“For longer inter-city journeys such as Dublin-Donegal customers are charged a lower rate per kilometre than commuter journeys, which reflects the economies of scale inherent in all forms of long distance travel ie longer journeys on planes, trains and bus are generally always proportionally cheaper than shorter journeys,” the company said in a statement.
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