Call for bus shelters on Longford bus route

Councillors in the Ballymahon Municipal District were told the provision of a bus shelter for the town would have to tie in with any planned streetscape improvements.

At the March meeting of the Municipal District Cllr Pat O’Toole called on the local authority, in conjunction with Bus Éireann, to assess the feasibility of providing two bus shelters at the bus stops at upper Main Street, Ballymahon.

Samantha Healy Director of Service for Infrastructure, Housing & Innovation told the meeting that Senior Executive Engineer Con Diffley, would liaise with the National Transport Authority on the proposal. She said NTA will only make bus shelters available on routes that service at least four stops.
Ms Healy said the provision of such infrastructure would have to tie in with plans for changes to the Ballymahon streetscape.

Those plans for changing the streetscape in Ballymahon involve traffic lights at Nally's Corner and at the junction for the N55 Athlone road. the works in Ballymahon have been in the pipeline for a number of years.

Plans were halted in 2021 after TII disagreed with proposals for a roundabout on the N55 junction at the end of the town heading towards Athlone. It was felt that a roundabout would offer no protection for pedestrians and cyclists using the junction and that led to a re-think of the project.
Cllr O'Toole agreed to defer his motion on the basis of the streetscape plans.

Cllr Mick Cahill said such plans must show consideration not to reduce the number of parking places in the town.