All you need to know about the new Portlaoise Town Service

Buses will rev up for the new Portlaoise Town Service on Sunday, February 23 at 5am, marking a big transport advance for the 24,000 residents of the Laois town as they try to get to work, school and shops.

Here is a guide for all you need to know.

There are two routes, PL1, in red, and PL2 in purple linking the far reaches of housing estates and intersecting along James Fintan Lalor Avenue so passengers can hop off one route and onto another, with 21 bus stops along each route.

Keep an eye out for TFI brand ambassadors in high vis who will be handing out free charged Leap cards and brochures with the timetable in Portlaoise on Sunday and Monday, February 23 and 24.

Route map for the TFI Portlaoise Town Service. 

PL1 runs between Colliers Lane and Woodgrove on the Ballyfin Road, via Fairgreen, the Mountmellick Road, Coote Street, JFL Avenue, Borris Road and halfway down Colliers Lane. 

See video of the launch here on the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

PL2 runs between Bellingham on the Mountrath Road and Kilminchy. The route takes in Portlaoise College, Harpurs Lane,  Coote Street, JFL Avenue, Stradbally road, Block Road, and Dublin Road up to Kilminchy Avenue.

The buses on PL1 will start at both ends at 5am and arrive at every stop every 30 minutes until midnight, Monday to Saturday.  On Sundays they start at 8am until 11.30pm that night.

On PL2 they start at both ends at 4.50am, running until 11.50pm, Monday to Saturday. On Sundays PL2 starts at 7.50am, ending at 11.20 that night.

The TFI reckon it will take 25 minutes to travel the full PL1 route, and up to 19 minutes for PL2. 

The buses and bus stops are wheelchair and buggy accessible. No bicycles are allowed unless they fold up, no E-scooters are allowed, only non-electric scooters. Dogs are allowed if they are under good control, as well as service dogs.

The drivers cannot stop for passengers waving them down, and will only stop at the bus stops.

There are 21 stops in total in the town, including key locations like the hospital, St Fintan's campus, shopping centre, business park and train station. The stops were installed by Laois County Council who have helped to roll out the service, with some still to be partially completed.

Passengers can download the national TFI Leap and TFI Go phone apps to buy cheaper tickets. Cash will also be taken. Free Travel passes are accepted.

TFI Leap and Go fares: Adult: €1.50, students under 26: 75c, child 65c.  Cash fares: Adult €2, child 90c.

Passengers can catch a second bus for no extra fee if it's within 90 minutes of boarding the first bus.

The contractor is City Direct, and the service is funded by the National Transport Authority. The buses are diesel, not electric, with a plan long term to replace them with new electric buses.