Call for Urgent Review of 424 Bus Service Serving West Galway and the R336

Independent Ireland representative Noel Thomas has called for an urgent review of the 424 bus service operating along the R336, serving communities from Galway City through Bearna to An Cheathrú Rua and Leitir Mealláin, following breakdowns and reliability issues.

Thomas said the 424 is one of the most heavily used and essential public transport routes in Galway, relied upon daily by people travelling to work, school, college and essential services.

“This is not a marginal service. The 424 is a core transport link for large and growing communities along the R336. When a bus breaks down, the impact is immediate — people are late for work, children are delayed getting to school, and the entire road network is disrupted,” he said.

Recent incidents, including breakdowns that have blocked sections of the R336, have raised serious concerns about the suitability of the current fleet operating on the route.

“If we are serious about encouraging people out of their cars and onto public transport, then the service has to be reliable. That starts with a modern, fit-for-purpose fleet that can meet demand and operate consistently on this route,” Thomas said.

He added that capacity is also a recurring problem, with single-decker buses frequently reaching full capacity and leaving passengers behind.

“On a route like this, where demand is clearly there, we should be seeing greater use of double-decker buses so people are not left standing at the side of the road. A service that cannot take its passengers is not serving its purpose,” he said.

Thomas confirmed that he has written to Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority raising concerns about the reliability and capacity of the 424 service, and calling for immediate action.

He said his correspondence also addressed the need to upgrade the frequency of the Galway–Clifden route, so that it can better serve high-population centres such as Maigh Cuilinn and Oughterard, which continue to experience significant growth.

“These are areas where demand has outpaced service provision. Increasing frequency and deploying appropriate vehicles would make a real difference to commuters and would take pressure off the road network,” Thomas said.

Thomas said repeated breakdowns and overcrowding undermine public confidence in bus services and actively work against wider transport and climate objectives.

“People will use public transport when it works. That has always been my position. But asking people to rely on a service that is regularly breaking down or unable to carry demand is simply not acceptable. It pushes people back into their cars and makes Galway’s traffic problems even worse,” he said.

“West Galway deserves a bus service that reflects the level of demand and the importance of these routes. If we want people to choose public transport, we have to give them a service they can trust,” Thomas concluded.

Councillor Noel Thomas
Independent Ireland