The National Transport Authority is to put the contract for the delivery of Clare Bus services out to tender.
The move has caused serious concern in Clare about the future of the service, and follows a separate decision earlier this year to move the coordination of the service to Limerick.
However, the NTA has ruled out any disruption to existing routes.
Feakle-based Clare Bus is a not-for-profit local transport company providing accessible public bus services for Clare and parts of South Galway.
In April of this year, the National Transport Authority made a decision to move the responsibility for the coordination of the service to Newcastle West, under the newly formed Clare Limerick Local Link.
Importantly, though, the direct award contract – i.e. the responsibility for the delivery of services – remained in Clare.
But Clare Bus management were issued with a letter late last week, informing them of the NTA’s decision to put the contract for the delivery of the service out to tender.
In a statement issued to Clare FM, the NTA says the decision was taken to secure the delivery of relevant bus services in Clare.
The tender process will be done on a route by route basis and will be open to all suitably qualified operators, including the existing one; Clare Accessible Transport.
The statement goes on to clarify that there will be no disruption to the operation of existing services by Clare Accessible Transport as a result of this.
The NTA will also continue to fund Clare Accessible Transport’s services pending the outcome of the tendering process, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Statement from the NTA:
NTA has decided to undertake a competitive tendering process in order to secure the delivery of relevant bus services in Clare and Clare Accessible Transport has been informed of this decision.
Accordingly, the Authority is now commencing arrangements for the tendering of the relevant bus services on a route by route basis. The tender process will be open to all suitably qualified operators who are registered on the Authority’s Rural Transport Qualification system, including Clare Accessible Transport.
The NTA wishes to clarify that there will be no disruption to the operation of existing services by Clare Accessible Transport as a result of this development as the NTA will make ex gratiapayments to Clare Accessible Transport for the continued delivery of the relevant services pending the outcome of the tender process, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
