No new or enhanced bus services planned for Thurles in past two years

There have been no new or enhanced bus services planned for implementation in the Thurles area for the past two years.

This week, Minister Eamon Ryan announced eight planned services for Tipperary to be implemented this year under the Connecting Ireland Mobility Plan. Under the phase two implementation plan for 2023, Nenagh, Roscrea, Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir are to see an improvement in public transport. In 2022, under the plan, three routes were announced for Cashel, Roscrea and Clonmel.

However, two of those did not get implemented and are planned again for this year.

The National Transport Authority told the Tipperary Star that there are routes planned for Thurles within the next five years.

However, they gave no indication for when in the next five years those proposals might go to the implementation stage. A spokesperson for the NTA said:

“Connecting Ireland is a national programme to be implemented over a five-year period. Sixty-seven new and enhanced routes were announced on Friday for implementation this year, with the remainder to be delivered as part of later phases.”

Thurles Cllr Jim Ryan told the Tipperary Star he was disappointed that this year’s announcement did not include Thurles.

“I’m extremely disappointed that the recent announcement by Minister Ryan of the extra routes with local links.

“The town of Thurles seems to be completely ignored. We haven’t received new routes despite his encouragement of using public transport. I think a town the size of Thurles, which is the third largest in Tipperary, to say we are not going to get any extra routes and we are poorly serviced as it stands anyway is a disgrace,” said Cllr Ryan.

Cllr Ryan acknowledged the NTA proposal plan in regards to Thurles provided but added that it is very vague. He said is disappointed there are no “concrete dates” given for the new Thurles routes.

“This needs to be reviewed. He needs to go back to the drawing board on this because I know an awful lot of people in Thurles who would love to go to places and have no means of transport, whether it’s to go to work, medical appointments or to visit family or shopping.

“I think there would be a huge demand for it in Thurles if these extra routes were put on. So despite previous promises that we would get extra routes we quite clearly were not given them, and we are being ignored.

“I would call on the Minister to review this decision and give us the routes. There is demand for them and it would be of huge benefit to the town, economically and socially,” said Cllr Ryan.

PLANNED AND EXISTING ROUTES

The NTA provided us with a document with the planned and existing routes. It is important to note that the document states that there are “no significant changes” planned for the existing routes.

However, if they become more popular, the NTA may review this. None of the existing routes link Nenagh and Thurles, the second and third largest towns in the county. The wider plan proposes a route that would link Thurles and Nenagh (Athlone-Clonmel), however no date for implementation has been given.

Currently Nenagh and Thurles are linked by a small private operator who goes to Thurles from Nenagh twice a day (11:20am and 6:05pm) and from Thurles to Nenagh twice a day (8:50am and 4:30pm). Irish Rail also stops in Thurles on the Dublin to Cork route.

Last month it was announced by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan that his department and the NTA would subsidise a hackney service for Borrisoleigh.

That service will be part of a pilot project with 21 rural locations nationwide.

The Local Hackney Pilot will provide grant aid to part-time operators serving small communities.