Complaint about Drogheda Bus Station escalated to European Commission

A formal complaint concerning the lack of accessibility at Drogheda Bus Station has been submitted to the European Commission, following what is described as a failure by Ireland’s National Enforcement Body to properly enforce EU passenger-rights law.

Aontú’ s Drogheda representative, Michael O’Dowd, a well-known advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, confirmed the complaint was lodged under Regulation (EU) 181/2011, which protects the rights of passengers with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility in bus and coach transport.

“This issue is no longer just about one bus station,” Mr O’Dowd said. “It is now about whether EU passenger-rights law is being enforced effectively across Ireland.” 

“Drogheda Bus Station, owned and operated by Bus Éireann, has been the subject of repeated concerns regarding accessibility. This is beyond unacceptable and is putting the lives and safety of people with disabilities at great risk.

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"They have to contend with the absence of a safe and accessible drop-off point, restrictions on taxi access, and trying to navigate a heavily trafficked roadway in order to access services."

According to Mr O'Dowd, despite sustained engagement at national level, no clear determination has been made as to whether the station is compliant with accessibility and reasonable accommodation obligations, nor has any accessibility audit or enforcement outcome been made public, which Mr O'Dowd says is "too opaque".

The Aontú rep continued: "This issue is not about funding, but about enforcement. Across the EU, enforcement bodies are not always funders, but they are required to investigate complaints, assess compliance, and require remedial action. Funding timelines cannot be used to justify ongoing inaccessibility.

“Accessibility obligations do not disappear because a building is old, nor can they be postponed indefinitely pending capital works,” he said. “Disabled passengers are entitled to access now, not at some undefined point in the future.”

Mr O’Dowd also confirmed that, in parallel with the European Commission complaint, the matter will be referred to the Office of the Ombudsman in Ireland. The Ombudsman will be asked to examine whether the National Transport Authority has acted reasonably and in accordance with its statutory role as National Enforcement Body for EU passenger-rights law.

He added: “the Ombudsman process is an important part of ensuring accountability where public bodies fail to properly exercise their enforcement functions. This is about good administration as much as it is about accessibility.”