Demand for Carlow bus stops in Laois side of Graiguecullen

A fresh call has been made for the Carlow town bus service to stop in the Laois part of Graiguecullen to serve passengers.

Cllr Vivienne Phelan has won the support of her Laois County Council colleagues in asking the National Transport Authority (NTA) to review the eco friendly public service to ensure a better service is provided for residents in the Laois side of Graiguecullen. 

"In Carlow town there is a bus service similar to Portlaoise. It was launched in July 2023 with two routes running seven days a week. It is a success but in Graiguecullen there are no bus stops. If people there want to use it, they have to walk or get a lift to a stop.

"When it was introduced there was a commitment to review the contract by the Oireachtas Transport Committee. It shouldn't be the case if you live in one county, you have no service. People in Graiguecullen walk, shop, socialise and go to school in Carlow. I would like to see fairness and equality either side of the county boundary," Cllr Phelan said.

Cllr Phelan who is a public representative for the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District, tabled a motion to the the July council meeting, seconded by Cllr Padraig Fleming.

"The sad thing is that the NTA has consistently failed to respond to the Laois side. They were asked at three or four meetings. We couldn't bring them over to the Laois side. 

"Unless something dramatic changes, they say they are not going to be able to look at it. The meeting were held in Graiguecullen, Laois. Graiguecullen is 90% in Laois. It is a disgrace, this affects a few thousand people," Cllr Fleming said.

He said that all the affected housing estates are in a loop that would take just 20 extra minutes to service.

"You cross that bridge and within thirty seconds you are in Laois," he said.

Laois County Council Director of Services for Roads is Simon Walton.

He responded to the criticism.

"It is noted that the housing estates in Laois are too far from the nearest bus stop, which makes it difficult to avail of the service. I can draft up something," he said.

Read also: Laois money announced to buy up derelict Graiguecullen properties

The lack of a Carlow town bus service to the Laois parts of Graiguecullen was an election issue in 2024, with two Portarlington Graiguecullen election candidates highlighting the problem, Sinn Féin's Aaron Kelly and Labour's Eoin Barry.