28 Mar 2017
Posted by Chris Jones 
UPDATE, Thursday 13th: Industrial action has been brought to a close this afternoon. Bus Éireann has said that some services may resume in the regional cities this evening, but the vast majority of services will not be operational until tomorrow morning at the earliest.
Many thousands of commuters face ongoing disruption due to an all-out strike called by Bus Éireann unions.
HOW LONG WILL THE STRIKE LAST?
We don’t know. The unions have said that the strike, which commenced on Friday 24th March, will continue indefinitely.
ARE ALL SERVICES AFFECTED?
A spokesman for the unions says that the strike affects all services except for school buses.
Bus Éireann have confirmed to us that “all facilities are affected including depots and stations”, but information and ticket sales are still available from the Bus Éireann website.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TRAFFIC?
We haven’t noticed any appreciable increase in traffic as a result of the strike, but it may be heavier at peak times on major commuter routes. It may be a good idea to leave extra time when you are planning a journey.
HOW MANY WORKERS WILL BE ON STRIKE?
The unions say that Bus Éireann has around 2,600 employees in total, of which 400 are school bus drivers. This leaves 2,200 workers that are expected to participate in the all-out strike.
WHAT ABOUT CROSS-BORDER SERVICES?
Cross-border services operated by Bus Éireann are affected by the strike and not running. Some routes, like the X1 service between Dublin and Belfast, are operated by both Bus Éireann and Northern Ireland’s Translink, whose buses are running as normal.
WHAT OTHER TRANSPORT OPTIONS DO I HAVE?
Many major towns and cities are served by private bus companies that aren’t affected by the strike. Transport For Ireland’s website allows you to plan your journey using a combination of these operators.
Alternatively, you can take the train if you are fortunate enough to have a station nearby. You can find timetables and a journey planner at the Irish Rail website.
Trains and private buses are expected to be very busy as a result of the extra demand, so book ahead and leave extra time for your journey.
Photo by Ardfern, used under CC-BY-SA-3.0 licence
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