The Elephant in the room.

spank_inferno

petronius wrote: »

the problem is efficiency and high cost of the service which needs to be reduced
while DB i dont think should be profit making it should subsidise the non profit making routes and wash its face

What does efficiency mean wrt a free buss pass?
It requires some admin to have in place.

And what is the high cost?

cdebru

petronius wrote: »

No elephant - the Free Bus pass was a great measure (even if it came via Charlie Haughey)
it enables many old and not so wealthy people to get out and travel a bit and the mental and physical benefits that results in
like what would the alternative be reduced prices for pensioners who would then travel less

the problem is efficiency and high cost of the service which needs to be reduced
while DB i dont think should be profit making it should subsidise the non profit making routes and wash its face

No the problem is 2 fold

One the scheme is not funded properly, Dublin bus,Bus Eireann, and Irish Rail get about 61million euro per year for over 1.1 million people that are entitled to free travel that works out at less than 6 euro per person per year divided between 3 companies, no matter what way you split it even allowing for people never using their passes it doesn't add up.
If the government wants to give an ever increasing number of people free travel then they have to start paying for it.

Second the system is open to wholesale abuse easily copied passes, No ID required for passes with addresses out the city areas of Dublin, Cork,Galway and Limerick, people losing multiple passes every year one person has managed to lose 17 passes in a year, Passes that never expire etc etc.

No amount of efficiency or cost saving is going to cover a third of the adult population being entitled to free travel, for which the government pays less than 6 euro, that wouldn't even buy you a one day rambler ticket on Dublin Bus never mind anything else.

Sam Russell

cdebru wrote: »

No the problem is 2 fold

One the scheme is not funded properly, Dublin bus,Bus Eireann, and Irish Rail get about 61million euro per year for over 1.1 million people that are entitled to free travel that works out at less than 6 euro per person per year divided between 3 companies, no matter what way you split it even allowing for people never using their passes it doesn't add up.
If the government wants to give an ever increasing number of people free travel then they have to start paying for it.

Second the system is open to wholesale abuse easily copied passes, No ID required for passes with addresses out the city areas of Dublin, Cork,Galway and Limerick, people losing multiple passes every year one person has managed to lose 17 passes in a year, Passes that never expire etc etc.

No amount of efficiency or cost saving is going to cover a third of the adult population being entitled to free travel, for which the government pays less than 6 euro, that wouldn't even buy you a one day rambler ticket on Dublin Bus never mind anything else.

61 divided by 1.1 million is 55 not 6.

It still is very little but is nearly ten times the amount you quote.

cdebru

Sam Russell wrote: »

61 divided by 1.1 million is 55 not 6.

It still is very little but is nearly ten times the amount you quote.

Sorry you are correct, about 55 euro per person per year which is then divided between 3 companies, so Dublin Bus gets less than 20 euro per free pass, even allowing for not all of that 1.1 million live in Dublin and not all use their passes it would be safe to say 200,000 people regularly use it on DB which would be around 100 euro a head which would not pay for a 30 day rambler never mind a 364 day rambler.

dowlingm

The free travel card is like free tv licence and all the rest. It could be abolished and replaced with a determination to ensure livable incomes for all in need but it is something a TD can seek to "get" for someone in exchange for votes. The only reason they have worked in the past is because Ministers could direct ESB, CIE, RTE etc. to co-operate. The withdrawal of Aircoach from providing Free Travel on certain routes by switching to an express model points to a possible erosion of indirect supports in a competitive environment generally.

If schemes like this were abolished there would be an immediate saving in the bureaucratic overhead of administering them - processing applications, generating new and replacement passes, handling queries from inspectors etc. Senior citizens and those on disability could get a bump in their cash income predicated on the withdrawal of all the various indirect subsidies like free travel and thousands of civil servants could be transferred to more productive activities like getting student grant applications processed in a reasonable length of time. Prosecutions for misuse and so on would be moot which would reduce the possible involvement of the courts (although might have a concurrent but hopefully smaller increase in straight up failure to pay fare prosecutions).

If all indirect costs of administering the FT scheme at DSW and CIE level were taken into account, I bet the government could give every current FT recipient a good bit more than the 55 Euro a year noted above in an abolition scenario. While 60 odd million would be a big lump sum hit for CIE issues like illegal selling of passes etc would simply disappear. It would also be popular in rural Ireland where the actual value of a pass in terms of services that can actually be availed of is so much less. CIE could then have an option to provide discounted fares at off/counter peak times to pensioners and such other groups that would be relatively unlikely to cause grief for their fellow customers.

ardle1

sim3620 wrote: »

lets do some quick math, give you a idea of the problem.
In the papers today,
400k passengers a day, revenue 600k
for arguments sake assume prepaid tickets are the same price as cash fares

The 400k use the bus 2 times a day, that works out at 75c per journey..
We know the minimum fare is €1.65 , thats a 90c difference to the average..

If all passengers pay €1.65 a journey, 2 times a day, that a daily revenue of €1,320,000.

The government gave CIE €278 million in subvention in 2012 http://www.dttas.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=603
Now this money is spread around all of CIE not just Dublin Bus

Lets just assume that this money only goes to pay for the free travel passes, (i know ,this is a rough and ready idea).

Approximately 1 million free travel pass holders, so thats €278 a year for unlimited travel on all types of transport, for a grand total of 76c per day or 38c per journey if 2 are made per day on Dublin bus.

For this 38c per day you can travel free across the country on trains, which would cost up to €50 each way.

Can you see the problem, the free travel pass scheme has grown to be the elephant in the room, if it is not addressed soon it will collapse, and those who genuine deserve it will loose it along side all those who should not have it.

There is no way a private operator would take over Dublin bus and carry people unlimited journeys for 76c per day.

Ok so lets just say, the bankers didn't f#*%k up this once great little country,well we wouldn't be even talking about the (well deserving)free travel pass holders!! Do the maths.

dowlingm

ardle1 wrote: »

Ok so lets just say, the bankers didn't f#*%k up this once great little country,well we wouldn't be even talking about the (well deserving)free travel pass holders!! Do the maths.

On the flip side, it's common in Ireland that all sorts of unsavoury stuff is tolerated in fat years "shure we're rolling in money who cares" and governments elected in lean ones are faced with reform and probably losing power due to the breach of the usual clientilist arrangement voters expect from their TDs or leaving things as is and hoping the international bankers will extend the facilities until things turn around. All the bailout has done is reduce the scope for the government to take option b because critical services like health etc are already sucking up any available borrowing room.

Sam Russell

The medical card is an all-or-nothing benefit. If you are entitled to it, everything is free and if not, nothing is free. The FTP is the same.

Also, there is no expiry date on a FTP, nor any proper check. Even the photo is on a different card.

So here is the way to sanity.
1. Cards only valid after 9:30 am.
2. Only the qualified holder gets a FTP, not spouses or any other category as at present. Currently even carers get them.
3. New cards to be issued with security imbedded, including a chip (as per Leap).
4. Each journey to be logged onto the card - so abuse can be tracked.
5. Special cards to be issued for required journeys that (2) above disqualifies - like kids going to school, or where particular needs arise.
6. More ticket inspections.

The first item is a no cost measure. The last item would be good management practice.

devnull

dowlingm wrote: »

The withdrawal of Aircoach from providing Free Travel on certain routes by switching to an express model points to a possible erosion of indirect supports in a competitive environment generally.

Aircoach did not withdraw from providing free travel. The way the private operators are funded for free travel is on a per service basis, rather than an overall sum as it is in the semi state companies such as Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann.

The situation is that after a time in 2011, I can't remember the exact date, the government said that all new commercial route licenses would not be able to join the scheme. This has meant that some Bus Eireann Expressway routes have not been able to join the scheme, as well as several other private services as well as the Aircoach route you quote above.

I do agree that the free travel scheme certainly needs to be overhauled however because the current one is unsustainable.

AlekSmart

devnull wrote: »

Aircoach did not withdraw from providing free travel. The way the private operators are funded for free travel is on a per service basis, rather than an overall sum as it is in the semi state companies such as Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann.

The situation is that after a time in 2011, I can't remember the exact date, the government said that all new commercial route licenses would not be able to join the scheme. This has meant that some Bus Eireann Expressway routes have not been able to join the scheme, as well as several other private services as well as the Aircoach route you quote above.

I do agree that the free travel scheme certainly needs to be overhauled however because the current one is unsustainable.

Just to clarify devnull,the DSP Free Travel Scheme budget was frozen at 2010 levels,so from 2011 onwards any new service could not apply for inclusion.

The actual levels of disbursement of the overall allocation also remains somewhat vague.

The CIE group allocation last mentioned was €69 Million out of a total of €75 million,with the allocation between the subsidiary companies then being an internal matter for CIE.

The allocation to Private Sector operators is often shrouded under a "Commercially Sensitive" shroud,but occasionally this can slip,as evidenced in this Dáil Eireann debate relating to 2009's allocations to Donegal based operators.

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/2010/12/16/00223.asp

However,it remains an option for any Private operator desiring to maintain public goodwill,to accept the Free Travel Pass,however this would actually be "Free Travel" in the generally accepted sense,as the DSP would not reimburse the Operator in such a case.

ALL Bus Eireann services,including Expressway are covered by the Free Travel Scheme...however the situation regarding the newer post 2010 "Joint Ventures" is where the DSP's funding decision results in non-acceptance.

It can be argued that the only reason the two State Affiliated Bus Companies can continue to accept the Free Pass is that both companies substantially restructured their service levels through plans such as BAC's Network Direct,where over 200 Buses and 350 staff were dispensed with,allowing the remainder of services to continue to fully accept the Free Pass.

It was a consumate Smoke n Mirrors approach,which was not appreciated at the time,but who'se relevance is only now becoming clear.

dowlingm

devnull wrote: »

The situation is that after a time in 2011, I can't remember the exact date, the government said that all new commercial route licenses would not be able to join the scheme. This has meant that some Bus Eireann Expressway routes have not been able to join the scheme, as well as several other private services as well as the Aircoach route you quote above.

Aircoach were providing an FTP service on Dublin-Cork and they withdrew from it in favour of the new service. The Department did not request or require them to create the express service so far as I know. I am sure Aircoach understood the consequences of their decision.

cdebru

AlekSmart wrote: »

Just to clarify devnull,the DSP Free Travel Scheme budget was frozen at 2010 levels,so from 2011 onwards any new service could not apply for inclusion.

The actual levels of disbursement of the overall allocation also remains somewhat vague.

The CIE group allocation last mentioned was €69 Million out of a total of €75 million,with the allocation between the subsidiary companies then being an internal matter for CIE.

The allocation to Private Sector operators is often shrouded under a "Commercially Sensitive" shroud,but occasionally this can slip,as evidenced in this Dáil Eireann debate relating to 2009's allocations to Donegal based operators.

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/2010/12/16/00223.asp

However,it remains an option for any Private operator desiring to maintain public goodwill,to accept the Free Travel Pass,however this would actually be "Free Travel" in the generally accepted sense,as the DSP would not reimburse the Operator in such a case.

ALL Bus Eireann services,including Expressway are covered by the Free Travel Scheme...however the situation regarding the newer post 2010 "Joint Ventures" is where the DSP's funding decision results in non-acceptance.

It can be argued that the only reason the two State Affiliated Bus Companies can continue to accept the Free Pass is that both companies substantially restructured their service levels through plans such as BAC's Network Direct,where over 200 Buses and 350 staff were dispensed with,allowing the remainder of services to continue to fully accept the Free Pass.

It was a consumate Smoke n Mirrors approach,which was not appreciated at the time,but who'se relevance is only now becoming clear.

The interesting point in that Dail response is that private operators are paid at a 70% of the cost of the fare, so in the case of Dublin bus an annual ticket costs 1120 euro. 70% of that would be 784euro if Dublin Bus gets roughly 20 million then that would pay for roughly 25.5k annual passes, I doubt anyone could claim there are only 25,500 active regular DSP users on the DB network.

If Dublin Bus was paid on the same basis as private operators at even 70% of the fare for each individual journey they would not need to have cut back routes, or be going through the current convulsions that deprived the fare paying customers of the service.

devnull

dowlingm wrote: »

Aircoach were providing an FTP service on Dublin-Cork and they withdrew from it in favour of the new service. The Department did not request or require them to create the express service so far as I know. I am sure Aircoach understood the consequences of their decision.

It was a separate route under a separate license.

Nobody forced them to withdraw the service indeed, but there wasn't enough demand on the intermediate stops to justify a stopping service as well as an express service, since the vast majority of the passengers were going Dublin or Dublin Airport to Cork on it's own.

dowlingm

cdebru wrote: »

If Dublin Bus was paid on the same basis as private operators at even 70% of the fare for each individual journey they would not need to have cut back routes, or be going through the current convulsions that deprived the fare paying customers of the service.

if the FTP operated as a smart card with tap the pocket stamped out then the resulting use data could get quite awkward. If the reverse was the case - DB mostly recompensed and the privates taking a bath - they would be straight off to Brussels screaming "illegal state aid"

dowlingm

devnull wrote: »

It was a separate route under a separate license

I see. where did the FTP buses end up if not on the ramped up express service? Capacity was transferred in my view.

cdebru

dowlingm wrote: »

if the FTP operated as a smart card with tap the pocket stamped out then the resulting use data could get quite awkward. If the reverse was the case - DB mostly recompensed and the privates taking a bath - they would be straight off to Brussels screaming "illegal state aid"

How is it operated in the private sector ? Does every pass have to be recorded in a traceable fashion?
I agree it should be traceable and companies semi state or private should be paid on a level playing field.

Sam Russell

cdebru wrote: »

How is it operated in the private sector ? Does every pass have to be recorded in a traceable fashion?
I agree it should be traceable and companies semi state or private should be paid on a level playing field.

On the Aircoach service, the driver (or ticket issuer) types in the number of the pass. So this suggests it is on a per-journey basis. However, it could be at a discounted rate.

Dublin Bus services such as the 747 route are not included. This would be pre-2010, so not quite a level playing field. Howver, Aircoach have not always been included (not sure when they started accepting the FTP).

Sam Russell

dowlingm wrote: »

if the FTP operated as a smart card with tap the pocket stamped out then the resulting use data could get quite awkward. If the reverse was the case - DB mostly recompensed and the privates taking a bath - they would be straight off to Brussels screaming "illegal state aid"

There are plans to introduce a smart card, but it appears to be running into the sand. It was due to be launched earlier this year but it has not appeared yet.

AlekSmart

Sam Russell wrote: »

There are plans to introduce a smart card, but it appears to be running into the sand. It was due to be launched earlier this year but it has not appeared yet.

It is more than a "Plan" Sam Russell,it is an up and running programme.

Currently,the target is for 200 new SW Cards to be issued each week per DSP centre,which,in the case of Free Travel Passes alone (756,000) will take quite some time to issue.

However,what is FAR more interesting is the DSP admission that it has not yet decided on whether the method of using the chipped Free Travel Card will actually involve using the electronic equipment at all.

It appears the working party are still considering whether or not to allow the new Card to be used in Flash Pass (Tap the Pocket) mode...

This admission,more than any other aspect,defines for me,the reality of a Country in the grip of lunatic administrators !!

cdebru

Sam Russell wrote: »

On the Aircoach service, the driver (or ticket issuer) types in the number of the pass. So this suggests it is on a per-journey basis. However, it could be at a discounted rate.

Dublin Bus services such as the 747 route are not included. This would be pre-2010, so not quite a level playing field. Howver, Aircoach have not always been included (not sure when they started accepting the FTP).

It is on a per journey basis in the private sector, they are getting 70% of the fare from the DSP. ( that information was included in the link on AlekSmarts post of a Dail question)
No way is DB getting anywhere near 70% not even close, at a guess it would be less than 7% so definitely not a level playing field.

Losty Dublin

Looking at this in naive black and white terms, given the paltry recompense that they receive CIE would probably benefit if they pulled out of the DSP scheme.

You'd almost love it if their board had the neck and actually went and did this.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Sam Russell

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

.... and for the board of CIE. New board appointed to reverse the decision by the Minister in double quick time.

Sam Russell

AlekSmart wrote: »

It is more than a "Plan" Sam Russell,it is an up and running programme.

Currently,the target is for 200 new SW Cards to be issued each week per DSP centre,which,in the case of Free Travel Passes alone (756,000) will take quite some time to issue.

However,what is FAR more interesting is the DSP admission that it has not yet decided on whether the method of using the chipped Free Travel Card will actually involve using the electronic equipment at all.

It appears the working party are still considering whether or not to allow the new Card to be used in Flash Pass (Tap the Pocket) mode...

This admission,more than any other aspect,defines for me,the reality of a Country in the grip of lunatic administrators !!

Sounds like the planning phase to me. It will take 10 years to issue the cards at that rate, and they do not know how it will be used. Lunatic is right.

Losty Dublin

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Thats why I said in naive black and white terms but sooner or later something will give, either CIE or the scheme itself as it is choking viable public transport in it's current guise. As it exist the funding and structure is the single biggest stumbling block to Fine Gael's dream of private buses and trains operating viable services as a whole. If the examples of Aircoach stepping back/dodging from honouring the pass, even under more favourable terms, are indeed correct then it goes to show us that private companies know it plain will not work

Sam Russell

It is strange the it is valid on the Aircoach airport service but not on the DB 747 service.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

cdebru

Sam Russell wrote: »

It is strange the it is valid on the Aircoach airport service but not on the DB 747 service.

Airlink is a commercial service where DB have the option to opt out they do. I guess because the same 70% deal is not available to them.

cdebru

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

same as above, commercial service.

AlekSmart

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Looking at this in naive black and white terms, given the paltry recompense that they receive CIE would probably benefit if they pulled out of the DSP scheme.

You'd almost love it if their board had the neck and actually went and did this.

Although not admitted to,the current situation with the DSP Free Travel Scheme funding plays a significant part in keeping the predatory private sector groups interest at bay.

It is noteworthy that up until we began to see references to ACTUAL figures relative to the DSP Scheme,we were also treated to regular references to the high level of "Interest" in running Dublin/s Bus Service amongst the big private sector operators.

The rather sudden disappearance of this "Interest" is quite neatly bracketed by the introduction of the England-Wide scheme in the UK mid 2008.

http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/staticnoprint.aspx?id=_web2_help_helpbus#A8.4

The experiences since then have caused quite a major issue between Local Authorities,(Who fund the entitlement),Central Government (Which introduced it) and Operators (Who deliver the service).

Up until 2008,the UK's various concessionary travel schemes were substantially easier to fund and monitor,a situation which changed completely after April 2008.

In our current situation,a potential customer base of c.3.5 Million is immediately reduced by c.1.1 Million,whose potential for revenue contribution is capped at a very modest figure (certainly well below the rate of return demanded by the shareholders of the companies concerned).

The current Government have now been caught in a fiscal man-eating trap,whereby their long-standing Free Travel Scheme funding arrangements act as a significant disincentive to new inward private sector investment,whilst maintaining the scheme is something politically necessary to keep a significant chunk of the country's population docile.

Remember always,that less than 50% of Free Travel Pases are in respect of persons of pensionable age,which leaves quite a lot of younger more motivated elements whose annoyance might just prove problematic should their "entitlement" be removed/restricted.

So,the choice is to leave well-enough alone,and continue the relationship with the CIE group whereby it largely keeps the wheels turning and the passengers satisfied..OR...to proceed with the privatization agenda,but in the full knowledge that the Free Travel Scheme in its current state will immediately become untenable.....an Interesting dilemma indeed,and all largely due to decades of disinterest and mismanagement.

devnull

Losty Dublin wrote: »

If the examples of Aircoach stepping back/dodging from honouring the pass, even under more favourable terms, are indeed correctk

That is not the case though. The old Aircoach stopping service was one which was based on a license which was issued many years ago, before the ban on new services joining the scheme came into force, which would be able to tet some revenue contribution from the parties for travel pass holders who used it.

The Aircoach Cork Express service was based on a new license, as per licensing regulations, and was therefore not entitled to join the scheme at all, They were faced with allowing passengers on for free or making them pay. There was no option of any revenue contribution from the relevant parties for this service.

All of the other Aircoach services, which pre-dated this change, still accept the free travel pass. The Ballinteer one did not, for the same reason that the Cork one does not.

Losty Dublin

devnull wrote: »

That is not the case though. The old Aircoach stopping service was one which was based on a license which was issued many years ago, before the ban on new services joining the scheme came into force, which would be able to tet some revenue contribution from the parties for travel pass holders who used it.

The Aircoach Cork Express service was based on a new license, as per licensing regulations, and was therefore not entitled to join the scheme at all, They were faced with allowing passengers on for free or making them pay. There was no option of any revenue contribution from the relevant parties for this service.

All of the other Aircoach services, which pre-dated this change, still accept the free travel pass. The Ballinteer one did not, for the same reason that the Cork one does not.

But they no longer accept passes on some services, is that right?

devnull

Losty Dublin wrote: »

But they no longer accept passes on some services, is that right?

They accept passes on the services that are allowed to be part of the free travel scheme.

They do not accept passes on the one service that is not able to become part of the free travel scheme in any form.

Losty Dublin

devnull wrote: »

They accept passes on the services that are allowed to be part of the free travel scheme.

They do not accept passes on the one service that is not able to become part of the free travel scheme in any form.

In other words, no.

So why did they pull out of this old Cork route and run a new Cork route?

foggy_lad

Losty Dublin wrote: »

But they no longer accept passes on some services, is that right?

They never accepted free travel passes on the Cork Express service or on any of the services introduced in the last few years since funding freeze, but any services before the ban on new services joining the scheme are still accepting free travel passes.

Passes still accepted on
Dublin Airport - Dublin City Centre - Leopardstown,
GREYSTONES & BRAY,
Dublin Airport - Killiney / Dalkey service.

LXFlyer

Losty Dublin wrote: »

But they no longer accept passes on some services, is that right?

No that's not correct - the only services that Aircoach do not accept passes on are the newly licensed ones.

I suspect you're mixing them up with GoBus who (I seem to recall) have stopped accepting passes on their Galway/Dublin/Dublin Airport route as it was not worth their while to do so.

LXFlyer

Losty Dublin wrote: »

In other words, no.

So why did they pull out of this old Cork route and run a new Cork route?

They are two separate licences. They operated both for a short while, but the company obviously felt that the Dublin/Cork non-stop market was a better one to be in than the stopping service.

Given Bus Eireann are now dropping stops at Portlaoise and Urlingford, this may well be the case.

Losty Dublin

lxflyer wrote: »

No that's not correct - the only services that Aircoach do not accept passes on are the newly licensed ones.

I suspect you're mixing them up with GoBus who (I seem to recall) have stopped accepting passes on their Galway/Dublin/Dublin Airport route as it was not worth their while to do so.

Which are some Aircoach services.

LYFlyer wrote:

They are two separate licences. They operated both for a short while, but the company obviously felt that the Dublin/Cork non-stop market was a better one to be in than the stopping service.

This is why I reckon they did it; basic economics.

Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge them for doing it this is the case.

devnull

Losty Dublin wrote: »

In other words, no.

So why did they pull out of this old Cork route and run a new Cork route?

Because they believed there would be far greater demand for the non stop route than there was for the stopping service, where the vast majority of the passengers were going end to end anyway, and research no doubt suggested they could attract extra passengers to the service by speeding it up. Looking at the loads they get most of the time now, obviously they seem to have been correct with this.

For a short while they ran the stopping services alongside the express services, but they were carrying less than double figures. They then cut the number of stopping services back to just the ones with the peak traffic, then passengers switched to Bus Eireann who operated a more regular service and always had a large number of passengers from the intermediate Towns than Aircoach.

There simply wasn't the market for 14 intermediate services a day in each direction, once you have stripped out the passengers who are going between Dublin and Cork, previous to the launch of the non stop services, most services were only carrying less than a quarter of a bus full of passengers, and off-peak single figures. There is no way that could have been sustainable for any company to operate an intercity service with that few passengers.

I believe that GoBus did indeed stop taking the free travel pass customers on the Galway Non Stop route even though their route was still eligible to be part of the scheme (and was in the past) and could have been reimbursed by the state, they obviously decided it would be more commercially viable to try and get full revenue from such passengers rather than the percentage they were being offered.

This is completely different to the Aircoach situation who were never entitled to get any revenue for the Cork Non stop service for accepting free travel passes.

LXFlyer

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Which are some Aircoach services.

This is why I reckon they did it; basic economics.

Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge them for doing it this is the case.

There is a difference though between what you originally suggested, i.e. that Aircoach ceased taking passes on certain services that they continued to operate.

Aircoach didn't stop accepting passes on any route that they were already operating. They started new routes which they were not allowed take passes from the outset (Airport/Ballinteer and Dublin/Cork non-stop).

Subsequently they dropped the Dublin/Cork stopping service, which had accepted passes, some time after the non-stop service started. This was under a completely separate licence to the non-stop service. However, I don't think that really had anything to do with the free travel scheme - it was more that they felt there was a better economic return from the non-stop market, and that the existing Bus Eireann route 8 was probably more than adequate for the stopping market. That non-stop service commenced after the new rules came in, and as such was exempt from the free travel scheme.