More local bus transport links to rural areas are urgently needed - Tóibín

The public has been urged to make submissions to the Local Link rural transport services on much needed bus routes to villages and rural areas.

Cllr Emer Tóibin has called for more villages and country areas to be serviced by the local bus service in and out of Navan town.

She says she has been inundated with requests from residents living in outlying rural areas north and east of Navan town, who saw the success of the campaign to get a local link service for Robinstown and Dunderry residents to Navan town.

“Navan town simply can’t cope with the existing traffic volumes as the population has vastly outgrown the road infrastructure of the county town and there has been little attempt by national and local government to play infrastructural catch-up over the decades.

“Active travel has become the go-to transport option to deal with the increasing difficulties of traffic jams and congestion. Public transport is supposed to work in tandem with active travel so that people can viably leave their cars at home and go about their business in an efficient and timely manner. However, public transport planning and provision is a very slow and protracted process, despite great buy-in from the public.

“The residents of Robinstown and Dunderry, together with so many more, saw the success we had when we all collaborated for the common good and succeeded in getting a new and much needed service from Navan to Enfield, linking in several rural towns and villages along the way”.

She said she firmly believes it is in everyone’s interest to work together towards increased local bus transport options.

“The benefits are there for us all to see but these services won't be handed to us. We will need to campaign and put forward a business case for our local area to included on the public transport network.

“Connecting Ireland is the only funding route available now so it is imperative that members of the public contact their Local Link office and show that there is a significant demand for the service.

“For example, Local Link responded to my representations for the residents of Bohermeen and Cortown, saying that while there is a shopping service in both those areas Local Link needs to see more evidence of demand to justify a daily run.

“The staff at Local Link Navan do excellent work and are very professional, efficient and approachable and I am inviting the public to make submissions directly to lmf@locallink.ie.

“Let's increase public transport access for more people coming into Navan or to other Meath towns, which in turn will make working, shopping, and socialising in our towns safer, easier and more enjoyable.

“No doubt, budgets govern decisions and the figures, must add up. But as things currently stand, Meath's population growth in recent years hasn't seen matching public transport provision and rural communities continue to be excluded from public transport access,” she said.