The Clare Leader Forum is calling on people right around the county to write to the National Transport Authority to call for changes to the Clare Bus service to be abandoned.
The NTA has confirmed that three of the routes that were to have been operated by Clare Accessible Transport have been awarded to tenderers who placed second in last year’s procurement process on a one year basis.
The other nine routes will be run on an interim basis by a Clare-based operator, who is qualified to provide these services.
But PRO of Clare Leader Forum Ann Marie Flanagan, who is a candidate in the 2020 Seanad election, says the buses were operating perfectly and the old service must be restored.
Statement
Local Link public transport services in Clare are to be run by a new operator from this week, but there is no interruption or disruption in services arising from this change, according to the National Transport Authority and Local Link Limerick/Clare.
This change has come about as a result of the fact that previous operator Clare Bus did not sign contracts that were offered to them arising from a competitive tender at the end of last year, when the company was the successful tenderer for 12 routes in the county.
The fact that they did not sign the contracts by the deadline set by the Authority meant that for the sake of customers across the county, National Transport Authority and Local Link Limerick/Clare were left with no option but to put alternative measures in place.
Under those measures, three of the routes that were to have been operated by Clare Bus have been awarded to tenderers who placed second in last year’s procurement process. Those contracts will be awarded for one year, in line with the provisions of that procurement process.
The other nine routes will be run on an interim basis by a Clare-based operator, who is qualified to provide these services. Those contracts have been awarded by NTA under the relevant legislative powers, and are of three-month duration.
A new public competition for the operation of those nine routes will get under way very shortly.
All vehicles contracted for the delivery of rural transport services are wheelchair accessible.
