An Expressway bus service, the first of its type in Ireland, has been introduced on the Dublin/ Galway route at a cost of £2 million, it was announced yesterday.
The Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, launched the initiative from Bus Eireann in Galway. The company has invested in new luxury coaches and will employ 18 drivers and associated support staff.
There will be a total of 13 different departures in each directions on weekdays and Sundays, representing an increase of five services per day.
Departures from Dublin will be every hour on the hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., while departures from Galway are every hour on the half hour from 7.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
All services on the route will feature a new fleet of Scania Irizar Century luxury coaches, each with 49 reclining seats, air conditioning, toilet, double-glazed tinted windows, fully automatic transmission and anti-lock brakes.
It is anticipated that the new services will generate a 10 per cent increase in passengers per year, according to the company, taking the overall figure to the half million mark.
Fares on the route will remain the same. The ordinary one-way fare is £8 with the day return at the same rate. A return valid for one month is £10.
There is also a special day return of £6 if the passenger travels on any one of the first four morning departures from either Dublin or Galway.
The journey between the two cities takes 3 1/2 hours, including several timed stops along the route.
