West Cork commuters, at long last, will soon enjoy an hourly bus service from Skibbereen to Cork city.
The news was announced last week by the local company West Cork Connect, who, through a joint effort with the National Transport Authority, will be delivering the new service.
Speaking with The Southern Star this week, business owner Damian Long said the good news fits in with the company’s original goal since 2020, to give the West Cork ‘the public transport possible’.
‘It’s great to see the NTA sitting down with us and working out this exciting solution for the area. This new ‘hourly service’ will be the foundation from which lots of other benefits can evolve, for example the Local Links transport service will be able to coordinate with us to get people to smaller villages and rural areas.
I also think it could be a game-changer for helping local tourism-related businesses like ferries, restaurants and tourist attractions as people can now plan their journeys better, stay in the area longer, and head back to Cork later in the evening.’
With the cost of petrol and diesel also levelling out at a relatively high price point compared to the past, the hourly service has potential economic benefits, as well as the natural environmental benefit of getting cars off of the road.
For those who enjoy a drink, of course, the bus is also a huge boon not only to socialise in the city but to link to nearby towns and villages on the route as well.
Damian stated that more jobs would be created through the additional services, particularly for things like fuel, repairs, and servicing of the vehicles.
The NTA have yet to release any information on the new service, saying that information is likely to be closer to the launch date of the 29th June.
