The people of Westmeath have been asked to take part in two coincidental rallies in Mullingar and Athlone today (September 11 ) to protest the removal of rural buses as suggested by An Bord Snip Nua last month.
At the first meeting of the new county council in Mullingar earlier this week (September 7 ), Cllr Joe Flanagan (FG ), a director of the Westmeath Rural Community Transport Association (WRCTA ), urged his colleagues to take part in the joint endeavour to protect a valuable resource for the isolated and elderly in the county.
“The vulnerable have always been done first in every attempt to find cuts,” said Cllr Flanagan.
“It’s tragic. Isolated rural people are now going to be deprived of rural transport.”
The WRCTA will gather this morning at 11.15am at the post office in Dominick Street, Mullingar and at Golden Island in Athlone to protest the proposed cuts in this worthy service as part of a national day of awareness.
Cllr Flanagan called on his fellow councillors to join him.
“We’re kicking an open door on this one,” said Cllr Fintan Cooney (chair ) in support.
