Issues raised before faulty bus dispatched from Letterkenny

A bus which broke down forcing passengers from Donegal to take a taxi to Dublin Airport was reported as faulty just hours beforehand.

Passengers had to rush in a taxi from Monaghan to catch a flight on January 18 after their bus encountered a series of mechanical problems.

The Expressway route 32 bus was 70 minutes late in leaving Letterkenny.

Bus Éireann has now confirmed to Donegal Live that issues were raised about the bus in question that morning.

Letterkenny woman Mary Kelly contacted Donegal Live after seeing the story of Joanne and Charlie McLaughlin, who had to fork out €250 for a taxi after their bus broke down twice.

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Mary arrived into Dublin Airport on a flight from Boston and recalled how the bus was around 45 minutes late in arriving.

“When we got closer to home, the driver made a phone call and I heard him say about a mechanical problem that needed to get looked at,” Mary told Donegal Live.

“We could all hear the bus rattling and just knew it wasn’t right. We were an hour late at that stage too and the heat wasn’t working.

“The bus I was on was due in at 10.30 and it didn’t arrive in until well after 11. I figured when I saw the story about the couple getting the taxi that it had to be the same bus.”

In response to a series of questions from Donegal Live, a Bus Éireann spokesperson said: “There were delays on Route 32 on 18 January relating to the same vehicle for which Bus Éireann sincerely apologises.”

Following a series of problems with its fleet in recent times, the company has decided to switch all services on routes 32 and 30 to coaches that entered service in 2021.

“This transfer will begin in the coming weeks,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson apologised for the delay and said the bus was 15 minutes late in leaving Busáras before encountering traffic issues.

“I was even thinking about getting on the Donegal Town bus when it arrived first,” Mary Kelly said.

“The driver on it told me the other bus was coming behind him, but it was still another 20-25 minutes.

“I would have got onto the Donegal Town bus, but it was one of those mornings with snow and ice and I didn’t want anyone to have to drive from Letterkenny to collect me.”