Mullingar town bus service clears key hurdle as route through two estates is dropped

The provision of a town bus service for Mullingar has moved a step forward, after politicians agreed that the proposal that the bus go through the Lakepoint and Gleann Petit estates be shelved.

At the meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District, members were informed that a survey of residents of the two estates found that 49% of respondents supported the proposed route through both estates, and 51% opposed it.

Council official Mary Goldsberry told members that the survey found that opposition was stronger in Gleann Petit, where an overwhelming 93 per cent voted against having the bus come through their area, while in Lakepoint, 70 per cent wanted the bus to come through.

Councillors agreed that the views of the residents should be respected, and while the decision means the bus will not go out the Delvin Road, councillors were assured that over time, route additions can be made, as has happened in Athlone.

Ms Goldsberry, giving the background, said that following a non-statutory public consultation held in 2021, Westmeath County Council, in partnership with the National Transport Authority (NTA), revisited the proposed routing of the Mullingar town bus after disquiet was voiced by residents of the two estates. To finalise plans, residents of the Lake Point and Gleann Petit estates were surveyed from March 28 to April 25, 2025. The council received 246 valid responses – 164 from Lake Point and 82 from Gleann Petit.

Residents who supported the plan cited benefits such as access to schools, the train station, and services for the elderly, non-drivers, and people with mobility challenges. Those opposed raised concerns about safety issues, narrow roads and inadequate infrastructure, noise, privacy and security issues as well as about increased traffic, antisocial behaviour, and an impact on property values.

Reacting to the survey findings, Cllr Aoife Davitt suggested that a compromise be considered: that the bus route bypass Gleann Petit entirely but still serve areas near the Park Hotel and Marlinstown, offering access to nearby workplaces and amenities.

Cllr Andrew Duncan supported that idea and suggested that given the enthusiasm at Lakepoint, the buses could call there without needing to go through to Gleann Petit: “We might be missing a trick here,” he said, arguing that the Lake Point design – with cul-de-sacs and a central turning point – meant it was suitable for limited bus access without impacting most residents.

“We must respect the will of the people,” was the view of Cllr Bill Collentine, while emphasising the need to explore alternative routes to avoid isolating residents without cars. “The Delvin Road should not be forgotten,” he stressed.

Cllr Ken Glynn underscored the importance of honouring Gleann Petit’s strong opposition: “There’s no way I could go against the wishes of the people of Gleann Petit under any circumstances,” he said, but he was of the view the door should be left open for future dialogue with Lakepoint residents.

Cllr David Jones noted that although not a local area councillor, he had heard from Gleann Petit residents and shared their concerns. Cllr Julie McCourt echoed the consensus, saying that Gleann Petit residents must be listened to. “They’re the ones that are going to be impacted.”

Next Steps

Ms Goldsberry told the meeting that the NTA has informed the county council that they expect to launch the service by year end, and with that in view, operator procurement is ongoing and they expect to complete that process in August. The bus stop infrastructure tender documents are to be issued next week and they expect to have the contracts in place in August. What is envisioned at present is two routes: Lough Sheever Business Park to Chestnut Drive, and Mullingar Business Park to Pettitswood Close.

Deirdre O’Reilly, director of services, acknowledged the clear findings of the survey and shared the NTA’s intent to expand the service in future phases. She highlighted the strong support in Lakepoint and suggested that a future phase could revisit its inclusion. However, she cautioned that reworking the route now could delay the entire project: “The most important thing is get the service running by the end of the year,” she stated.

Cllr Mick Dollard said: “I’ve been listening to talk about a Mullingar bus service for the last 20 plus years. I think we should go ahead with the bus service now in some form or another this year and that might act as an encouragement for people in other areas to accept the bus service.”