Limerick village campaigns for the return of a regular bus service to the area
Waterford-bound coach does not service Boher
RESIDENTS of a village on the Limerick to Tipperary road just 20 minutes from the city are campaigning for the return of a regular scheduled bus service.
Boher is no longer served by the 55 Expressway coach which links Limerick city to Waterford.
Despite this, the villages of Dromkeen and Pallasgreen which lie on both sides receive up to nine return services each day on this route.
And the coach itself passes through Boher.
Now locals in the area are getting behind a petition to have the bus restored to their village, which has a population of 500.
Sarah Cloney, who started the appeal, said: “All members of our community would benefit greatly from access to bus services that pass through Boher, including school and college students, people working in Limerick city and senior citizens.”
She referred to the National Sustainable Mobility Policy, which states urgent action is required to meet climate change obligations between now and 2030.
“In order for our community to make more environmentally friendly transport choices , they have to be facilitated,” she said.
“My community and I live in Boher, but many of us rely on the city for jobs, essential services, and connection to a larger world. The lack of a public bus route seriously impacts those without public transport, in particular, our older citizens, who often have no alternative means of getting around. It is of utmost importance that we make access to the city easier for all,” she added.
Sarah pointed out the population of Dromkeen and Pallasgreen are similar to Boher.
“We are trying to be more sustainable. Obviously the traffic is absolutely unbelievable out of here with cars going in. So a bus service would be fantastic for the area, for the old and young.”
Boher is an important village in Limerick, Sarah added, with five businesses: a sauna, a new gym, an accountant’s office and two local pubs.
“So everybody would benefit from a bus service,” she said.
The community are also hoping for a bus shelter to be installed.
Sarah said: “A number of bus shelters have recently been erected in nearby villages including Caherconlish, Murroe and Herberstown but Boher has been overlooked. There are bus shelters in Dromkeen, a village that is further from Limerick city,sits on the same road and has a similar population size to Boher.”
They have written to Mayor John Moran on the matter.
In correspondence seen by the Leader, the mayor’s office has encouraged them to contact Bus Eireann directly.
Bus Eireann are yet to return a request for comment from the Limerick Leader.
See the petition at: https://chng.it/ZQb5kvZ2x7