Calls to extend Mullingar bus service to more areas of town

The success of the Mullingar bus service has been welcomed by members of the Municipal District – but they say it urgently needs to be expanded to include areas of the town that are not currently benefiting.

Members agreed that the National Transport Authority should be asked to extend the service to the Delvin Road and a number of surrounding residential areas following a motion at the September meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.

Cllr Aoife Davitt proposed that the route be extended via the link road from Robinstown to St Loman’s to take in Dalton Park, Assumption Villas, Great Oaks, Deravarra, Lakepoint Estate and Lakepoint Retail Park.

The District Office confirmed that it would write to the NTA requesting the extension if members agreed.

Cllr Davitt said the existing bus service had already made a significant difference in Mullingar but that the route could serve many more people by extending it towards the Delvin Road.

She said the bus currently travelled to Robinstown and could potentially continue on the link road, servicing areas including Beech Lawns, Beech Grove, Great Oaks, Bellview, Lakepoint, St Loman’s and Deravarra.

“There are stops that have been put in where buses can pull in outside of Woodie’s/ St Loman’s GAA,” she said, adding that she had also seen buses stop outside St Loman’s Hospital.

She said extending the route could open up access to the service for a large number of people, including those working at or availing of HSE facilities in the area.

She called for the council to write to the NTA and seek the extension without a lengthy delay.

Cllr Ken Glynn seconded the motion and said the Delvin Road was one of a number of areas of Mullingar that were currently not covered by the bus routes.

He said previous requests had also been made concerning Ballinderry Hill, the Lynn Road, Green Road, Ashe Road, Ballymahon/Athlone Road and Patrick Street. Cllr Glynn said demand for the existing service was already strong, and some buses fill up quickly.

He said he had been contacted by a woman living in West Mullingar who used the bus to travel to and from work. “She texted me, I think it was probably about quarter to nine, the bus was on the way in, to tell me that it was the second pick-up and the bus was full,” he said.

He said the success of the service meant the NTA needed to consider both extending the network and making adjustments to existing routes.

“It’s really positive. It’s one of the big good news stories for Mullingar. But we need to get these other routes on,” he said.

Cllr Andrew Duncan also supported the proposal and called for the NTA to attend a council meeting to discuss the future of the service. He also felt they should look at providing shelters at some of the stops.

He said the bus had been “embraced beyond expectations” and was likely to become more heavily used. He said the approaching winter weather could increase demand, particularly where passengers had to stand outside in the rain.

Cllr Duncan said the council should look at a full review of the network rather than adding individual locations on a piecemeal basis. “It’s worked so well, it’s a victim of its own success,” he said.

Cllr Emily Wallace said the existing routes served some high-density areas identified in the Mullingar town settlement plan, while other areas remained without a bus service. Infrastructure for additional stops was already in place in some locations, she pointed out. “All that we need now is for them to come on board and put that service there,” she added.

Extending the route towards the Delvin Road would also benefit traffic and parking in the town by giving people another option for travelling into the centre, the councillor said.

Cllr Bill Collentine supported the proposal, saying the service was being used for work, school, shopping, church and business. “We have a great success, so let’s make it better,” he said.

Cllr Mick Dollard said councillors had been discussing the need for a local bus service for around 25 years and credited district engineer Pat Kavanagh and council official Mary Goldsberry with work that had helped bring the service about.

He urged people to use the existing routes, saying increased usage would demonstrate demand for expansion. “The bottom line is the existing services, existing routes have to be used,” he said.

Cllr Julie McCourt also supported the motion and said residents were regularly asking when the service would be extended to areas such as Patrick Street and the Delvin Road.

Ms Goldsberry confirmed that the NTA, Bus Éireann and Irish Rail are due to attend the council chamber on September 28, when councillors will have an opportunity to raise issues.

She said the council would send a letter to the NTA setting out the areas that members wanted covered. She said the NTA had previously indicated that it wanted the service to bed in before reviewing it in six months, in 2027.

Cllr Davitt called for a separate meeting with the NTA specifically on the Mullingar bus service, saying the issue warranted detailed discussion given the number of outstanding requests for extensions.