Laois getting new bus that could help commuting college students
Laois is getting a new bus service that links part of the county to Carlow while the route between the county town and Roscrea is being altered.
The changes were announced as the National Transport Authority (NTA) launched the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan for 2023 in Tullamore with the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan.
Under the plan 67 new or enhanced Connecting Ireland bus services are proposed around the country. Last year Connecting Ireland delivered 38 new and enhanced bus services.
These services are provided on behalf of the NTA by 15 TFI Local Link offices nationwide, including Laois/ Offaly Local Link which is managed by Frances Byrne, who attended today’s launch.
Under the plan a new service is proposed for that will link Mountrath and Carlow. The 822 buss is at the planning and design stage and is due to go into operation in the late summer or early autumn of 2023.
The plan also includes a change in the 834 service between Roscrea and Portlaoise. The variation proposed remains at planning and design stage but should get the green light by spring or early summer 2023.
The new 897 bus which links Kilkenny, Castlecomer, Carlow and Athy went into operation at the start of the year. It also serves parts of east and southeast Laois.
Laois Offaly based Minister of State Pippa Hackett attended the launch of the plan in Tullamore.
“I am delighted that people of Laois will soon have new opportunities to hop on the bus to get to where they need to go. This Government committed to 70% of people in rural Ireland having access to a public transport service that provides at least three return trips daily to the nearby town. We continue to deliver.
"The Roscrea to Portlaoise route is a variation of a current route and is anticipated to be operating by early summer. The Mountrath to Carlow route is at procurement stage and will be up and running in the Autumn: If not in time for the new college term than soon after.
"With reduced fares, contactless payment options and enhanced routes there has never been a better time to catch the bus,” said the Green Party Minister.
A statement from the launch in Offaly said the response by customers to new services in rural Ireland has been very strong, with passenger numbers on buses returning to pre-Covid levels. It said this is particularly the case on TFI Local Link services in rural Ireland. The annual passenger journey figure for 2019 was 2.5m.
It's claimed that Covid had a serious impact on passenger numbers in 2020 and 2021, but in 2022, they rose to 2.8m, a recovery of 112%. Weekly passenger numbers peaked at over 45,000 on weeks in November and December 2022, confirming people’s desire to use the improved and enhanced services.
Minister Eamon Ryan commented: “Massively improving rural transport is one of my key priorities as Minister for Transport. The Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, launched in 2021, has already played a key role in towns and villages across Ireland and providing people with new choices to travel by bus.
“But now, we want to go further and build on that success with many more new and enhanced routes planned for 2023.
“It’s clear that when you build it, they will come. We know from last year’s statistics that people respond positively to new routes and services, backed up by our new cheaper fares. Young people, in particular, are choosing to use public transport more which is great. It’s more convenient, it’s more accessible and frequent than it’s been and it’s cheaper than driving and paying for a parking spot all day in college or school. The more people choose public transport the better it is for our environment as well. Public transport, both rural and urban, is a key to Ireland meeting our emissions targets,” he said.
Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority said: “NTA is proud to launch our Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan for implementation in 2023, which will deliver better access to safe, reliable, and more frequent bus services connecting towns and villages.
“The NTA is continuing its efforts to improve rural bus services by identifying areas that require additional services, and we are committed to continuing to develop connectivity and mobility in rural areas through the phased rollout of new and enhanced bus services this year and in future years,” she said.
The Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, an initiative of the NTA, aims to create a more integrated, accessible and sustainable public transport network for rural Ireland.