West Mayo community campaigns for better bus services

A COMMUNITY petition to restore the public transport service between Louisburgh and Killeen has garnered 500 signatures to date.

It's part of a wider need for improved bus services to Louisburgh and the wider area, highlighted by Councillor Chris Maxwell at a Westport-Belmullet Municipal District meeting.

They have problems with connectivity, getting in and out of Westport, for work and socialising, he said, and the community is trying to get the NTA and main bus service to come on board and try and increase services between Killeen, Roonagh, Louisburgh and the Delphi side, in conjunction with an increased Local Link service.

It would, he said, work to also increase the flow of people out to these rural areas and the islands.

The Louisburgh-Killeen service needs to be reinstated, said Councillor Maxwell, for families and elderly people to use.

Representations on this have been made in the Dáil, he said, but they've not got a positive response to date. And a campaign has started locally for service instatement, with 500 signatures already got.

Restore the old service in addition to new services later into the evening was Councillor Maxwell's call.

The research has been done and it looked feasible, he added, stressing that connectivity is important for the community socially and also for tourism.

“We want to lift Louisburgh and the whole area west of Westport.

“We have all the attractions but we're not getting the benefit out of them.

“If we could get more people back to our area that would be a massive boost,” he said.

The issue is to be brought to the council's roads and sustainable travel strategic policy committee and director of services to explore.

* Published under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme