Efforts to solve 'embarrassing' parking crux for tour buses
Efforts are being made to find a permanent pick-up and drop-off area for tour bus operators to alleviate traffic obstructions around Eyre Square.
However, the problem will not be resolved this Summer, so Galway City Council is currently working on an interim solution to ease the situation for the rest of the tourist season.
Last week, ticket wardens were urged to go easy on tour buses which park in bus stops around the Square as passengers disembark. Tourism firm Galway District Promotions have described the situation as a ‘severe embarrassment’.
The issue was also the subject of a meeting between City Council officials from the Galway Transport Unit and the Galway City Business Association (GCBA).
The refurbishment of Eyre Square meant new traffic flows and more dedicated bus stops for public transport, which in turn pushed the tour bus operators off their traditional seasonal patch.
Some tour operators use bus bays at Galway Cathedral but others say this is too far away, especially for elderly and infirm passengers.
The matter came to a head after some of the tour buses were ticketed by traffic wardens and this led to Councillor Niall McNelis calling on the Council to ease off and to make some allowances at a time when the city economy depended on income from tourism.
Ciarán Hayes, Director of Services for Transportation, confirmed that he was negotiating with CIE to see if tour bus operators could use space at the rear of Ceannt Station, which would be a central drop-off and pick-up point.