Is your village included in the plans?
Over 100 rural villages could see frequent public transport service for the first time as part of “major” new plans released on Friday (29 October).
Under the five-year Connecting Ireland plan published for public consultation, the National Transport Authority (NTA) is proposing an overall increase of around 25% in rural bus services.
Developed by the NTA, the aim of the plans is to increase public transport connectivity in Ireland, especially for those living outside major cities and towns.
This involves proposals to expand the public transport network in rural areas and to increase service levels.
According to the NTA, the results would see:
- a rise from 53% to 70% of people in rural Ireland having access to public transport service providing at least three return trips daily to the nearby town
- over 100 rural villages benefitting from frequent public transport service, consisting of at least three return trips daily, for the first time
- over 100 rural areas benefitting from a regular service, at least three return trips daily to their county town, for the first time
- over 60 new connections to regional cities from surrounding areas
- improved mobility options for those in remote areas with the provision of Demand Responsive and other innovative transport services.
“To have strong local economies and to give people real options for getting around you need good public transport links – this plan represents a step-change in delivering good quality public transport in rural Ireland,” Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said.
“If we are to deliver on our emissions targets, we need to make sure that people have the services and alternatives they need.
“My department allocated €5.6m from Budget 2022 to the NTA so that as early as next year the NTA can begin investing in these services and giving people those alternatives.
“I have asked the NTA when this consultation process is complete, to put together an implementation plan so that we can get to work on making Connecting Ireland a reality sooner rather than later.”
I'm pleased to launch the #ConnectingIreland public consultation in beautiful Laragh today.
For the first time, public transport will become available in many rural and remote parts of the country–breathing new life into villages and towns.#HaveYourSayhttps://t.co/gC2T4yG4ah pic.twitter.com/M3A57M5ZG5— Eamon Ryan (@EamonRyan) October 29, 2021
NTA CEO Anne Graham called the plan “among the most important” the transport authority has produced in recent years.
“We know that for many people, living in a village or in a rural area can mean that accessing services, or employment, or education, or even retail is difficult if not impossible, without using a private car. We want to change that,” Graham said.
With the public consultation process commencing on Friday, the NTA is now seeking members of the public’s views, particularly those in rural areas, about the plans.
People are asked to visit the NTA website here, read the details of what Connecting Ireland means for their area and give feedback.
You can read the proposals for each county at this link.
Main image via Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie
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