New bus shelters en route for Mullingar

Bus shelters are on the way for at least some stops on the Mullingar bus service, which is now accepting more than 6,000 fares each week, members of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District heard at their October meeting.

Senior engineer Pat Kavanagh told councillors that he had been notified that the bus shelters were now available; he hoped to be able to agree delivery dates with the supplier later in the week.

The news was welcomed by councillors, who called for windswept and exposed bus stops, particularly along the C-Link and in areas outside the town, to be prioritised.

Cllr Ken Glynn was keen to see a shelter provided on Castle Street and said local businesses were also in favour of it. He was also keen that priority be given to busier stops.

"We were told by the NTA there at the recent meeting, when we met with them, that there are over 6,000 fares a week. So surely we have an idea of what stops are busier than others," he said.

Mr Kavanagh said. "We want to put these shelters where people want them. I don’t want to go and throw up a heap of shelters around the place and then find half of the people or, half the houses don’t want them outside them or businesses don’t want them outside their premises," he said.

He added that consultation would be particularly important at stops outside shops and other business premises, while shelters in more isolated locations, such as along the C-Link, would be less likely to present such difficulties.

Cllr Denis Leonard welcomed the news, saying shelters could encourage greater use of public transport. "If we don’t have people waiting in the rain in the morning, we have a chance of more people actually opting for the bus," he said.

Cllr Emily Wallace was pleased the shelters were on the way, pointing out that some had originally been promised for the first quarter of this year.

Cllr Mick Dollard agreed that priority should be given to locations where there was currently no shelter, particularly in Marlinstown and other areas along the C-Link, where passengers could face difficult weather conditions while waiting for buses.

Cllr Andrew Duncan felt similarly: "Big, long barren stretches of ground, they should be prioritised. I think if we don’t put bus shelters up there, in the areas they are most required, people just won’t use them."

Cllr Alfie Devine was anxious that shelters be erected at bus stops along the 818 route, raising concerns about safety at scheduled stops on public roads.

Mr Kavanagh said the council would establish the precise number of shelters available and agree delivery dates with the supplier before finalising the programme.

He also reported that Active Travel and bus stop enhancement works had commenced and would continue until the end of December.

Supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme