Dear Editor,

As a regular user of the X8 service from Fermoy to Dublin, perhaps the powers-to-be in Bus Eireann can tell the people of Fermoy how we are supposed to get to Dublin if they take this service out of the town, which is undoubtedly going to happen. Will we be expected to pay to get a bus to Cork and then pay for a bus to Dublin, only for it to drive by our door-step? How are students (my daughter included), who use this bus to go up and down to Dublin on a weekly basis, supposed to get to Dublin to attend university? People should start screaming blue murder at Bus Eireann and every politician now before this service is abolished.

I note that at present, Bus Eireann are currently offering a €5 each way special offer from Cork to Dublin, but you have to get on at Cork city to avail of this. Therefore people must travel to Cork at an extra cost only for the bus to travel back through Fermoy. Why can we not avail of this offer and get on in Fermoy? The only reason for this is that Bus Eireann are manipulating the figures to make it look like very few people want to get on in Fermoy, and thereby justifying canceling the service.

Now that Urlingford is gone, where do Bus Eireann intend stopping for toilet-breaks etc., en-route? The people of Fermoy need to realise that if we lose this service we will also lose a bus every two hours to and from Cork city effecting everyone from Fermoy who uses this service for work, shopping and the likes of hospital appointments etc. It’s about time the people of Fermoy stand together and say ‘no’ to what undoubtedly will be another nail in the coffin for Fermoy.

Your sincerely,

Angela Lomasney.

(per e-mail)