By Chris Ashmore
LETTERKENNY is now the biggest town in Ireland without a local town bus service – and it could be a considerable wait before one is introduced.
In recent years, many of Ireland’s biggest towns have seen the introduction of new or upgraded services, but Letterkenny is being left behind.
The National Transport Authority had originally planned to have a service – with two routes – in place by the end of 2026.
However, no firm timeline has been tied down, and funding has yet to be secured.
Letterkenny is now one of only two towns in the country with a population over 20,000 that does not have a town bus service, the other being Ennis in Co Clare where new services are scheduled to start next month.
“We are lagging behind,” Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh told the Donegal News.
Frustrated by the lack of progress, he is planning to submit a question on the issue for the September meeting of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District Council to ensure that the pressure is kept on the National Transport Authority.
He believes that the introduction of a town bus service is “a matter of urgency” and “if there is a service that people can rely on it could help with the traffic situation.”
He also raised the possibility of looking at whether there is scope for the shared use of lanes for cyclists and buses – as is the case in some cities and towns.
And while there is widespread support for a town bus service, questions are being asked about how it will actually operate in such a congested town. The new services will also need bus bays, up to 80 bus stops, and also some bus shelters.
Cllr Kavanagh is now asking whether the new Active Travel works include a provision for bus bays.
If buses have to stop frequently on single carriageway roads, it will only slow traffic further.
Like Cllr Kavanagh, Cllr Ciaran Brogan has called for an interim bus service to be provided, and Minister of State Charlie McConalogue has raised the issue with Department of Transport officials.
The previous town bus service ceased earlier this year and while it was lightly used, it was nevertheless much appreciated by its passengers.
In its latest update, the Department of Transport makes reference to investment in town bus services, noting: “Sligo, Dundalk, Balbriggan, Kilkenny, Navan and Monaghan Town services have been enhanced, and the Athlone Town service is the first all-electric town bus service in the country” while “new town bus services have been launched in Clonmel, Carlow, Portlaoise and Mullingar” over the past couple of years.
In fact, in Athlone, which has a similar population to Letterkenny, more than 11,000 passenger journeys a week are now being made on the town bus services. But Letterkenny has still not seen the green light to go ahead.
The NTA envisages two town routes in Letterkenny, one from up near the Mountain Top, running via the town centre and over to Ballymacool. The other would go from Lisnennan via Carolina Park, Ballyraine, into the town centre, and out up Convent Road, Dr McGinley Road, and up to Killylastin An Gleann Rua. Both routes would also do a loop to take in Letterkenny University Hospital.
The plan is for a bus every half hour in each direction, on each route starting from early morning and running until late at night.