Revealed: Cork City's worst performing bus services
An analysis shows that just six routes met the minimum standard. File picture: Larry Cummins
With frustrated passengers often left stranded at bus stops by ‘ghost buses’ and cancellations, Cork City’s worst performing bus routes have been revealed
Despite a published schedule which shows buses should run every 20 minutes, the 214 cross-city service which links Glanmire to Cork University Hospital (CUH), via Kent train station, is amongst one of the worst performing routes, running late 40% of the time.
Statistics from the National Transport Authority (NTA) show that only a quarter of the city’s bus services meet minimum performance standards. The details are contained in the NTA's bus performance reports which track punctuality and other performance data on a route-by-route basis nationwide.
The bus route performance data, which was collected from 2021 to mid-2023, tracked the performance and punctuality of the city’s 25 bus routes.
An analysis shows that just six routes met the minimum standard, including the 215A between Mahon Point and the city centre, the 203 between Togher and Fairhill, and the 205 between Kent Station and the Munster Technological Institute in Bishopstown.
Among the worst performing routes is the 214 between Glanmire and CUH, which despite running every 20 minutes, is late 40% of the time and missed its minimum performance standard by 13 percentage points.
Of the city's high-frequency services, the 202 between Ringmahon and Hollyhill was the worst performing, running an average of four minutes late.
The 202 was also among the least reliable of the city's services, with one-in-16 of its scheduled services not showing up at all. This was only exceeded by the 226X between Kinsale and UCC, where one-in-12 services didn't show up.
The 225 between Kent Station and the airport was the most complained-about service in the city, with 40 complaints per 100,000 passengers.
As consultation continues on the NTA's draft BusConnects proposals for a network of 11 strategic transport corridors (STCs), Green Party Cllr Oliver Moran said the NTA data demonstrates why public transport priority is a must for the city.
“Bus passengers are frustrated with the level of service in the city,” he said. "I'm contacted daily by public transport users who cannot depend on the service for their daily needs.
“People just want to be able to get to work and get back home again on time to pick up their children from crèche. They know the future is in public transport, as a city and to reduce our carbon emissions, but the service is only barely reliable for most people who depend on it.”
He said the BusConnects proposals cannot be watered down any more.
He said:
“A fundamental of city life is a public transport system that people can rely on. Public transport priority simply has to be a part of that.”
The deadline for submissions on the third round of public consultation on the STCs is December 18.
Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, called for the deadline to be extended.
“The reality is that from late November, many people will have other issues at the top of their agenda—Christmas will be approaching and that will take much of their time,” he said.
The NTA has said it will continue its engagement with communities as the STC proposals are fine-tuned.
