Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has said that the cancellation of the Airport Hopper bus service is another blow to our public transport system and the natural result of the increased privatisation of our public transport routes.

Teachta Crowe said:

“The cancellation of the Airport Hopper bus service is another blow to our public transport system. Dublin was already lagging way behind other European capitals when it comes to city-airport links. Now there is no direct means for people in Tallaght or Clondalkin to travel to the airport bar by taxi or car. Both of which can add serious cost to a trip.

“This is another reminder than privatisation of public transport is not a long term solution. We saw last week that Aircoach’s services in Co Wicklow were also scaled back. MetroLink is at least a decade away, if it is ever built at all. We cannot be slicing off routes and handing them to private providers who will pull their services once it proves less profitable than they would like.

“The people of Dublin South West are not being well served by private providers. We see the chaos caused by GoAhead’s inability to provide a reliable service. We need to invest in public transport. Without a punctual, reliable, and affordable service, people will see no reason to leave the car at home and our traffic and carbon emissions will continue to get worse.”