New bus service will further connect rural communities- McLoughlin

Fine Gael TD for Sligo-Leitrim, Tony McLoughlin, has said that a new bus service for North Leitrim and South Donegal will help to further connect rural communities in the region and is another welcome development for the people who live here.

Local Link has launched the new six-day-per-week service linking Kinlough to Ballyshannon via Bundoran with seven return journeys per day. A demand-led rural service will also be incorporated to the new route in the Glenade, Ballintrillick, Tawley and Buckode areas.

The new route will also connect to the Bus Eireann Sligo/Galway and Enniskillen/Dublin expressway services, providing greater options for bus users in the region.

The route will be serviced by a brand new 171-registered Mercedes bus with low floor wheelchair access, the first of its type to enter into service in the Republic of Ireland.

‘Fureys of Sligo’ was awarded the tender after a successful process with the government agency Transport for Ireland which is funding the route.

Welcoming the roll out of the new service, Deputy McLoughlin said: “This new service will help to further connect our local communities in the area. A regular and reliable transport network provides a vital lifeline for those living in rural areas, especially for elderly residents who often have no other alternative.

“This service will have an immediate positive impact on the lives of people in every community on the route, giving residents in rural villages increased access to utilities like doctors, banks, shops and Bus Eireann services, as well as other social outlets. It will also help enhance the lives of our older people who don’t have access to a car, as well as connecting younger residents with transport links to college and work.

“Fine Gael is committed to expanding the public bus service in rural Ireland through increasing the amount of PSO funding to Bus Éireann and providing a 24% increase in funding to the Rural Transport Programme.”

ENDS