Local Link service through Kilcullen to take in more villages
The proposed new collection points on the route are Calverstown and Narraghmore, which will extend the villages service that already includes Moone, Timolin and Ballitore.
The service currently runs three times a day in each direction mostly on the R448, collecting northbound in Kilcullen at The Hide Out at 8.16, 13.05 and 16.35. Southbound stops are 9.55, 14.25 and 17.25.
Last week's meeting of the Kildare Newbridge Municipal District heard a presentation from Local Link that also noted plans to terminate the 880 service in Castledermot and provide local shuttle services to Carlow.
The organisation's manager Alan Kerry told councillors that current passenger numbers on the 880 are 'very low' and that 65pc of passengers are users of Free Travel Passes. Responding to Cllr Suzanne Doyle's comment that she was glad to hear about the extension of services to Calverstown and Narraghmore, Mr Kerry said 'that's our job'. But he added that the proposed new route may still be subject to 'three or four' more drafts.
On the areawide situation, he said that about €10m was needed in County Kildare to provide all that is required for full Local Link services. He compared this to the €1.2m currently available.
"We need a Local Transport Plan for for the full area of Kildare," he said. "We need to stop dealing with routes and bus shelters and related things at a parochial level and have them in a plan. And we need to put what we are doing on a statutory basis."
Local Link Kildare South Dublin currently operates 921 weekly scheduled services on 45 routes in the Kildare South Dublin area, serving 1,400 passengers a week.
Mr Kerry noted that the organisation is working through a number of strategic aims in its programme 2017-2021, including Local Link services that enable comprehensive access to the public transport network for all citizens of Kildare and South Dublin.
On the longer term, he said one aspiration is to effectively reduce the need for second and third cars in households in its area.
"This would need a network or 8-12 services, but the cost would be small money in relation to helping deal with climate change," he said.
More information is available at locallink.ie/kildaresouthdublin.
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