Deputy Éamon Ó Cuiv has been informed that there is a change of regime in relation to pick up points on the Local Link services in Connemara/South Mayo.
Up until now the buses only stopped at fixed stops some of which are up to 14km apart. This was reducing the use of these new services to locals as well as reducing the patronage of them.
He said that at present there are two Link Services in Connemara – An Cheathrú Rua to Clifden and An Cheathrú Rua to Claremorris. These services are also designed to dovetail with other services to Galway.
“After a long campaign about the limited benefit of the services as the bus services were so far apart I have now been informed by Local Link that the buses will stop to pick up passengers and let them alight outside of fixed stops as long as it is safe to do so, and that the passenger is visible to the driver.
“This is indeed a welcome decision and will in my view see the patronage of the services increase dramatically leading to, I hope, even more services on these routes,” he said.
“Another change I have been campaigning for and will continue to pursue is the extension of the Claremorris Service to Knock Airport which would give a direct link to many people from Connemara to the Airport without having to haul luggage between one service and another and rely on connecting buses. I will continue to fight for better rural bus services and build on the progress made on many routes in recent years in this regard,” concluded Dep O Cuiv.
