New proposals for bus routes in north Galway do “absolutely nothing to resolve the lack of public transport services” in the area, and omit towns and villages which the routes claim will be served.
This is the view of Independent Galway County councillor, James Charity, who has written to the National Transport Authority, and the Minister for the Environment, Eamonn Ryan on the issue.
According to Cllr Charity, proposals in the Connecting Ireland plans for public transport in the State, and for a Bus Éireann Expressway from Galway to Castlebar, would leave Caherlistrane, Annaghdown, Corrandulla, Bawnmore, Kiloughter, and Menlo “entirely unserved”.
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Cllr Charity noted that Connecting Ireland had two possible plans for an expressway between Galway and Castlebar, and that this service would include Corrandulla and Annaghdown.
However, “on closer inspection”, he said one of the proposed services, Proposal 22A, for “Castlebar, Milltown, Tuam, Annagdown, Claregalway, and other places en route”, would actually be 10.67km from Annaghdown and would also bypass Corrandulla. In his letter, Cllr Charity went on to point out that the “proposed route as it pertains to County Galway does not in any way service Annaghdown”, but is, according to the map in Connecting Ireland, a “service to Corrandrum” or Knockdoe.
Another planned route, Proposal 21A, despite being described as “for Westport, Ballinrobe, Headford, Corrandulla, Cloonboo, and other places en route”, actually “omits the village of Corrandulla entirely”.
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Cllr Charity [pictured above] pointed out that the proposed route is 1.5km from Corrandulla itself . “Hardly a viable connection service for the elderly, students, or workers to utilise,” he wrote.
“The current proposals under Connecting Ireland in no way enhance local public transport in this area of North Galway, and will not take private cars off the road or provide a viable alternative to those living in these areas,” he wrote in his letter and concluded by calling on the NTA to “engage properly” with people in the region.
