Kildare TD Urges NTA To Step In As Airport Hopper Bus Serving North Kildare Discontinued

Thursday, 20 February 2025 11:12

By Martin Osborne

Speaking on Kildare Today, Fianna Fail TD for Kildare North Naoise O'Cearuil said he has contacted the NTA to explore a potential Public Service Obligation (PSO).

The National Transport Authority is being called on to replace axed bus routes to Dublin Airport.

Airport Hopper has stopped services between Maynooth, Tallaght and the airport while Aircoach is scrapping routes from Bray and Greystones.

Speaking on Kildare Today, Fianna Fail TD for Kildare North Naoise O'Cearuil said he has contacted the NTA to explore a potential Public Service Obligation (PSO).

The PSO is a subvention payment to meet the difference between income from fares and the cost of operating the services for public transport providers.

He said the W6 route could also be extended to the airport to service a lot of areas previously covered by the Airport Hopper.

Airport Hopper Holdings Ltd said in a statement that it was forced to "pause operations" as of February 10th, citing the service’s "financial unsustainability" for an extended period, with passenger numbers on the routes insufficient to support the service.

The company explained that it had "exhausted all efforts" to make the service financially viable, including reducing fares to attract more passengers.

However, rising costs such as fuel, tolls, insurance, and airport charges led to the difficult decision to stop the service.