Up to 35 jobs are at immediate risk at a Galway company because of the Department of Transport's failure to prevent a coach operator from using a route without a license. That's according to Mr Joe Burke, owner of GoBus, who said the jobs could be gone in a matter of weeks if the Department does not step in and stop Citylink operating what both he and the Department have called an "unlicensed service".

"The situation with us is very serious. If the other company are allowed to continue operating an illegal service, we as a company may not be able to continue in a couple of weeks. It is very possible this unlicensed service could put us out of business.

"We are now looking at it on a daily basis, not weekly or monthly, but daily! It's a very grave situation," he said.

The Department of Transport has ordered that the non-stop Citylink Dublin- Galway service cease operating as it has no license, but Citylink has refused to comply.

A spokesperson for Citylink said the company felt they were operating within their rights and would continue to do so.

Mr Burke said he had been in contact with the Department and the Gardaí, but was unaware what either had done on the matter, or whether Citylink have even been approached on the issue.

"The Department has to do something. They have to be taken off the road. We waited three years to get that license. I don't think we can go through the court against Citylink, as we are not the people who authorise the license, so it is up to the Department.

"The worst part is it is absolutely affecting our business. It is not like the UK, where there is an open roads policy; we have license agreements here. Citylink are operating without a license and depart 15 minutes ahead of our timetables buses and offer a service of €1. I don't care how much they actually charge but I do care they have no license," he said.

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