‘Strong demand’ for Mullingar bus service, councillors hear

The elected members of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District were told the new county town bus routes would need time to “bed in” but the uptake was being very “closely monitored”.

At a meeting of the authority it was stated that the very first week of operation saw 4,200 passengers utilise the service: “It has out-performed the best services in the midlands,” senior engineer Pat Kavanagh told the members.

Cllr Aoife Devine said all the early indications were that there is a “strong demand for the bus service”.

“This is a fantastic service,” Cllr Devine said. “It has seen a wide variety of passengers using it from school students to pensioners. We do need to look at optimising the routes to make it accessible to more people.”

Cllr Emily Wallace added: “We are already looking to extend it. It’s beyond our expectations, particularly for people with mobility issues.”

That view was supported by Cllr Bill Collentine: “It has been a great success, it’s wonderful how well it is working out.”

The bus service commenced operations for the first paying passengers towards the end of February.

The National Transport Authority (NTA), in partnership with Westmeath County Council and Bernard Kavanagh and Sons, are delivering two routes; the MU1 and MU2, providing connections to the town centre, hospitals and rail services, facilitating onward travel.

The bus routes run 18 hours a day, providing early morning and late night services that support shift workers, students, social and leisure trips, and the continued growth of the evening and night time economy in Mullingar.

Cashless payments are available through the Leap Card fare system, including access to the TFI 90 Minute Fare, which allows free transfers between the two routes. Free Travel Passes are also accepted on board.