Up to 15,000 bus passengers in the north west were stranded yesterday when Bus Eireann drivers throughout counties Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and Mayo failed to show up for work in sympathy with those in Dublin Bus.
Rail services were also severely disrupted as Iarnrod Eireann was able to offer only an early morning service from Sligo for passengers with return tickets. All later services were cancelled.
Bus Eireann said it was expected that drivers would show up for work today but advised people to phone in advance to check if buses were running. It is feared that with Dublin Bus drivers continuing their strike, drivers in the north west could do the same.
Eireann in the north west, said the company had not been given any warning. "We have not been informed of the nature of this, or what it entails, so it is very difficult for us to be clear as to what will happen". But we do expect services to return to normal tomorrow." But we got absolutely no warning so we couldn't pass on any to our customers,["] he said.
Apart from a number of local services in Donegal, no buses ran at all in the north west yesterday. Sligo town services were affected as were a number of school runs.
Mr Greg Mullan of Iarnrod Eireann in Sligo said passengers with return tickets were accommodated on the early-morning service, as well as some people going to Dublin for medical appointments.
Later services had to be cancelled due to picketing at Mullingar train station. A small number of striking maintenance workers placed a picket on the Sligo station later in the day. Signalmen on the line refused to pass pickets.