Councillor claims Portlaoise gets bus shelters before bus route
“The same craic again, Portlaoise gets everything,” Councillor claims
A councillor claimed Portlaoise has bus shelters before it has established routes while the rest of the county can’t get bus shelters.
Independent Cllr Ben Brennan accused the council of putting “the cart before the horse” in Portlaoise. “We have bus routes and we have no bus shelter,” he said.
Although he didn’t specify a location in Portlaoise, Cllr Brennan said, “I can’t understand why you put bus shelters where there is no bus run.”
He said there are established bus routes outside Portlaoise where shelters are needed. “In order to get the bus they have to wait 10, 15 minutes and it could be spilling rain,” said Cllr Brennan. .
He said it’s “the same craic again, Portlaoise gets everything.”
He tabled a motion asking: “that Laois County Council contact TFI(Transport Infrastructure Ireland) to erect three bus shelters, two in the Swan and one in Newtown on the R 430.”
In a response from the Active Travel Roads Department, the council said: “Upgrade works were completed in 2024 at both bus stops in The Swan. Presently, no further funding allocation is available at this time.
Newtown is programmed for bus stop enhancements over 2025/2026 and a bus shelter will be considered for installation as part of the design process.”
Independent Cllr Aisling Moran seconded the motion and said the shelters were needed. She requested a breakdown of the price of a bus shelter, something she had done at a previous meeting.
Acting Director of Finance, Julie Bergin, said she would follow up on the request.
Fianna Fail Cllr Padraig Fleming said bus shelters should be automatically installed when bus stops are selected.
The issue was discussed at a monthly meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.