It was initially set up for staff at the Digital / Compaq / Hewlett Packard / HP factory, and was also used by people working at Boston Scientific, APC/Schneider, Supermacs, RSA, and other business in the area. It was commonly known as "the Digital bus" and later "the HP bus". In 2007 there were there were three different buses each morning.
This bus service was eventually cancelled in mid 2016 after the standard city services started going into the industrial estate. No public announcement was made about the change. Use one of the alternate services listed near the bottom of this page.
The information below is retained for reference purposes.
Service Details
- In the morning, the bus leaves from Seacrest at 7:45am, travels via Salthill, stops at Eyre Square (stop 4, near Supermacs) at about 8 - 8:10am (aprox). Goes to th bus-stop right outside the Hewlett Packard plant in Ballybrit Business Park.
- In the afternoon, the bus leaves outside HP at 5:25 or 5:30pm (opinions vary about the correct time) Monday to Thursday, and 3:20 - 3:30pm on Friday.
- Usually it travels down Monivea Rd, Wellpark, Moneenageshia and Bohermore to Eyre Square, and then along University Road, Newcastle Rd. Lower Salthill, Upper Salthill and along the Prom, Threadneedle Rd, Kingston Rd. and ends at Seacrest.
- These buses are usually labelled "Compaq / Hewlett Packard" - or perhaps "APC", and may use either accessible city-service buses, or less-accessible inter-city coaches.
- They are regular Galway city services, and may be used by anyone, not just be HP staff.
- The bus service is not subsidised by Hewlett Packard. Regular city fares apply, and weekly and monthly passes are accepted.
- The morning services pick up and drop off at all regular stops along the route (and thus serve Coviden and Thermo-King). The city-centre stop is at the north end of Eyre Square, at the stop labelled "Stad" on the city-centre major bus stops map.
- Afternoon services pick up from the stop outside HP only, and drop off at any regular stop along their route.
- The most common route from the city is Bohermore, Moneenageshia, Dublin Rd, Walter Macken Rd, Connolly Ave, Monivea Rd, Ballybane Rd.
The most common route back to the city in the afternoons is Monivea Rd, Wellpark, Moneenageshia, Bohermore. However variations do occur.
Other buses for this area
- The regular route 405 bus (runs every 20 minutes during the day) goes to the very entrance of the estate.
- The route 409 bus that leaves Eyre Square at 6:30am travels to Boston Scientific via Bohermore and Monivea Rd - not via the regular 409 route.
- There were rumours of a bus leaving from Seacrest at approx 6:30am and going to Boston Scientific. I have not been able to confirm whether this is operating.
