'Loss of trust' - Kilkenny group to challenge bus company over service 'failure'
Have you had a positive or negative experience using public transport in Kilkenny?
The Gowran School Bus Group has formally declared a 'total loss of trust and confidence' in Bus Éireann management following what they describe as 'a systemic failure to address critical school transport issues.'
For a significant period of time, countless parents and guardians of stranded school goers in the Gowran area have called for the urgent introduction of an additional Bus Éireann school bus service to Kilkenny City, as the practical and financial pressure ramps up for some families.
According to Brendan Hayes, Chairperson of Gowran School Bus Group, Bus Eireann has 'simply walked away from the table'.
"Despite a written commitment three weeks ago to meet with parents within 'a couple of days,' Bus Éireann has since ceased all communication, leaving dozens of families in Gowran without reliable transport to school and no explanation," Mr Hayes claimed.
"We are no longer just dealing with a bus problem; we are dealing with a total collapse of accountability that is directly impacting our children's right to education and a families right to work," he added.
The group is now escalating the matter to The Ombudsman for Children, seeking an investigation into Bus Eireann’s failures and senior Ministerial offices, demanding an immediate national-level intervention.
Bus Eireann has been contacted for comment.