‘Without private bus firms, there can be no return to normality’

Niall McKeever was among a delegation of directors from the Bus and Coach Northern Ireland lobby that outlined to MLAs the difficulties the industry is facing.

He told the Stormont Infrastructure Committee the COVID-19 emergency and associated travel restrictions had come at the worst possible time.

But he reported that relations with the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) have been positive throughout the crisis.

“It has certainly been a journey over the past 10 or 11 months for everybody. What has happened over the past six or seven months in particular has been a development of a relationship between DfI and the private coach organisations.

“ What is really good is that we are beginning to understand each other a lot more clearly.

“We understand the importance of what the private sector does in terms of the tapestry of public transport that is provided in Northern Ireland and the emphasis on having that capacity available for public use once the crisis is over.

“Unfortunately, the private sector came into the crisis at its lowest ebb, at the back end of winter and preparing for what would have been a spring and summer harvest that did not happen, so, by the time we reached June and July, there were severe difficulties,” he said.

Mr. McKeever said he expected a slow reemergence from the current restrictions but that he was hopeful of an improved outlook by August/September.

“Those difficulties will continue, obviously, as the crisis continues this year. As we see it alleviating, hopefully by the end of quarter three, we will begin to see some green shoots,” he said.

The well-known Derry bus operator said legislators and policy-makers needed to understand the role private operators play in complementing Translink’s public network.

“There is a much clearer understanding of the operational crisis that we have, but, more importantly, the operational services that we provide.

“We range from airports to schools, from commuters to sports to cultural events — you name it.

“Without the infrastructure of the private sector supporting Translink, the capacity would not be there for us to return to some normality,” he said.