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12 Feb 2026
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12 Feb 2026
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A new bus stop at Kilminchy, Portlaoise.
The routes and launch of the delayed Portlaoise town bus service have been confirmed.
Laois County Council has told the Leinster Express / Laois Live when Portlaoise will finally get its own public bus service, to help fulfil its title of Ireland's pilot Low Carbon Town.
It will serve much of the town's heavily built up suburban residential areas, helping remove cars off the road, and provide reliable cheap transport for other people with no cars. It will employ up to 25 drivers.
Simon Walton, Director of Services said that the busses will run every half hour.
"The Portlaoise Town Bus Service will be a half-hourly service with two busses on each Route (four busses in total).
"Works are ongoing around Portlaoise installing the bus stop infrastructure.
"The National Transport Authority (NTA) have completed the procurement process for the service operator.
"Whilst I have previously given commencement dates that haven’t subsequently materialised, I have consulted with NTA this morning and it is likely the service will be operational by the end of February 2025," Mr Walton said.
A map shows the two routes, P1 and P2.
The green route P1 will run from the Ballyfin road roundabout on the northern ring road to Fairgreen, the N80 Mountmellick Road, James Fintan Lalor Avenue, the Borris Road, to halfway along Collier's Lane where it will turn back.
P2 red route will run from McSorley's filling station on the Mountrath road, turning at Portlaoise College onto Harpurs Lane, into James Fintan Lalor Avenue, then the Stradbally road, Block Road and Dublin Road, turning back in Kilminchy.
"In the meantime, ongoing bus-stop works will progress and we will update matters at the Portlaoise Municipal District Committee Meeting on 15th January, 2025," Mr Walton said.
The bus service was originally proposed in 2017 through the 2040 And Beyond A Vision For Portlaoise – A Strategy For A Better Town Centre plan. This climate action plan aims to reduce, traffic and congestion, reduced emissions, establish more bike-friendly roads and green spaces, and revitalized buildings in Portlaoise's town centre.
The council has expressed preference for electric buses.
The service was originally planned to launch in early 2024, and most recently, in January 2025.
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