Expressway survey suggests Mayo motorists can enjoy 'huge savings' by opting for bus travel
Mayo customers could save thousands of euro in fuel costs by switching their car for a coach on some or all of their journeys to Galway and Dublin, according to a new cost of commuting survey from Expressway.
The survey, carried out by Bus Éireann, is an in-depth analysis of bus routes and car travel across the 26 counties. Customers can see the savings to be made on Expressway routes using the savings ready reckoner at https://www.expressway.ie/service-news/savings.
As petrol and diesel prices pass €2 a litre, Mayo customers who regularly travel to work or leisure by car are adding hundreds or thousands of euro to their annual fuel bills alone. Customers who switch to coach travel can also make significant savings on the other costs of running a car, such as parking, tolls, servicing, oil and tyres.
As an example of the possible savings available, a person travelling on the Expressway Route 22 from Ballina to Dublin Airport (a distance of 245km) can get a return adult ticket for €31 compared to a return trip by car costing approximately €88.10 on fuel, meaning a saving of 65% by switching to Expressway.
In addition, a customer travelling on the Expressway Route 52 service from Ballina to Galway (a distance of 113km) will spend €22 on an adult return ticket. Travelling the same distance by car will total €40.70 on fuel costs, meaning a saving of 46% by switching to Expressway.
“With petrol and diesel prices increasing, it is getting more and more expensive to use the car. Mayo customers who leave the car at home a couple of days a week and take Expressway instead could cut their bills by hundreds of euro a year,” said Eleanor Farrell, chief commercial officer with Bus Éireann.
“And with bus and coach transportation emitting just one-fifth of the amount of carbon dioxide per passenger per kilometre as a private car, as well making substantial savings, passengers can also lower their carbon footprint by switching to travel by coach,” she added.
Expressway has partnered with financial planner, author, and radio and TV broadcaster Eoin McGee to highlight the savings that commuters can make by swapping the car for the coach.
He said: “With the cost of living continuing to rise and petrol and diesel at record highs, switching to travelling by coach makes more sense than ever. Using Expressway to travel around the country this summer instead of the car is one of the easiest ways to save money.”
Those travelling with families can make even greater savings as one child under five years of age may be carried for free on Expressway services when travelling with a guardian.
And of course, for people over 66 years of age with a free travel pass, travel on Expressway is free of charge.
Ms. Farrell concluded: “Last year, we invested in 30 new coaches for the Expressway fleet. These state-of-the-art new vehicles offer 4G Wi-Fi, personal USB charging ports and comfortable reclining leather seats so that our customers can relax for their whole journey.
“As we are coming into a very busy time of year, we are encouraging our customers to ensure their journeys are carefully planned ahead and would advise them to pre-book a guaranteed seat on our Expressway services by booking online at expressway.ie.”