Transport Summit: Standalone bus services needed in South Meath as population grows

RATOATH MD

Transport chiefs from the NTA, Bus Eireann and Irish Rail met Meath co councillors this week to discuss the needs of local passengers and commuters

Cathaoirleach Cllr Gillian Toole raised the timing of the introduction of the new fare structure. Councillors had put the notice of this into circulation but the customer/commuter was anxious to know when it would come in. In relation to a direct teatime service from Ratoath to Dublin she needed to know when there would be a standalone service, leaving out Ashbourne. The detour around Ashbourne was “a hindrance”, she said.

Driver recruitment was a big issue for Bus Eireann and Cllr Toole enquired how the recruitment campaign was going. She said the 103 services on Sunday, from 3pm to 11.32pm, on the app was cancelled and she wanted to know why this had happened. It was a deterrent for people if they had to pay a parking charge on top of a rail fare, she said. She also suggested the introduction of “concessions” in the car parks, for instance a food/coffee truck. At commuter times, this would not have an affect on local restaurant services – and it would bring extra revenue to Irish Rail.

Cllr Gerry O’Connor said his MD had requested funding for a route from Ashbourne to Ratoath to Dunshaughlin, to the M3 Parkway but they had been unsuccessful in that. That should be looked at again because of local population increases. While the population of Meath had gone up by 13 per cent, his own area of Dunshaughlin had risen by 39 per cent - 4,035 people in 2016 to 8,500 in April last year. A lot of routes went through Dunshaughlin to and from other towns but he believed there was a strong case for a route that started in Dunshaughlin.

There were also contributions from Cllrs Damien O’Reilly, Brian Fitzgerald and Maria Murphy.