The bus is coming your way soon!

Rural bus plan mooted for north Tipperary

Towns and villages in north Tipperary are set to get improved bus services as the Government seeks ways to cut down on carbon emissions and meet its international commitments to reduce global heating.

All towns in north Tipperary and several villages are to benefit from better public transport under proposals in the National Transport Authority (NTA) ‘Connecting Ireland’ plan, being rolled out nationwide to help tackle climate change.

Dromineer, Silvermines, Ballina, Killaloe, Newport and Borrisokane are included in the list, where it is proposed to connect smaller towns and villages and their rural catchments with nearby larger towns.

It is intended, states the NTA, that the changes will lead to improved access of people living in these rural communities to the range of services available in larger towns “at more useful times of the day and week.”

“It will also permit transfer to regional services to travel onwards, with timed reliable connections,” states the NTA.

Among the local bus routes to be created under the plan is one linking Dromineer and Ennis that will also serve Silvermines.

“We propose a new route from Ennis to Dromineer via Broadford, Killaloe, Silvermines and Nenagh,” reveales the NTA, which plans to operate the route on the basis of three return trips a day.

Another plan is to have a new route linking Thurles and Athlone that will serve Birr, Roscrea and Templemore as well as other places along the way – again with three return trips a day.

A new Nenagh-Galway local bus route, replacing an existing one, is proposed, serving towns along the way such as Borrisokane and Portumna.

A new service linking Athlone and Thurles would serve towns such as Birr, Roscrea and Templemore.

Newport, along with Murroe and Cappamore, are to be served under a new corridor between Limerick and Cashel.

REGIONAL ROUTES

The proposed public transport proposals would also see better services on regional corridor routes.

The plan proposes better integration of all existing services and more frequent non-stop buses along the Limerick-Dublin corridor that serves Nenagh and Roscrea. It is planned that non-stop services on this route would run every two hours.

Better and more frequent services are also proposed on the new Athlone-Clonmel route that serves Birr, Nenagh, Thurles, Cashel and Cahir. A minimum service frequency of two hours is envisaged.

Similar changes are also planned to be rolled out on the new Limerick-Kilkenny route that serves Newport and Thurles.

TRAIN SERVICES

In relation to train services, the NTA states that “no significant changes” are planned on the Limerick-Ballybrophy line that serves Castleconnell, Nenagh, Cloughjordan and Roscrea, nor on the Dublin-Cork rail line serving Templemore and Thurles.

On the local rail services, the NTA adds: “As the public transport network develops, and as more people travel more often and more widely by public transport, we will continue to review their usage and take steps to ensure their continued fitness-for-purpose.”

The plan is now out for public consultation, with news that many villages and towns are to get better bus services being welcomed by Tipperary TD, Michael Lowry

The plan proposes an overall increase of approximately 25 per cent in rural bus services over a period of five years.

Welcoming the plan, Deputy Lowry stated: “Good public transport links are crucial to rural areas. For many people, living in a rural area can mean that accessing services, healthcare, employment, education or retail is extremely difficult, if not impossible, without the use of a car.

“For many families it is necessary to have two cars to meet their needs, which is a major expense.

“Public transport services are also vital if Ireland is to meet emission targets.”

Deputy Lowry said the Department of Transport has allocated €5.6 million from Budget 2022 to the NTA “so that as early as next year the NTA can begin investing in these services and give people transport alternatives.”