Renewed calls for promised Athenry bus service

A GALWAY East TD is demanding that the National Transport Authority prioritises the long-promised bus service for Athenry in its new plans.

Sinn Féin TD from Athenry Louis O’Hara says that commuters in Galway are fed up with overcrowded, infrequent and unreliable public transport and urged the department to provide additional capacity on all routes across the county.

He noted that the NTA is preparing to publish a plan for new public transport services and has written to the CEO of the NTA and the Minister for Transport demanding for the replacement of the daytime bus service to Galway.

A private bus service running from Athenry to Galway ceased to operate in September 2024, citing rising operating costs and insufficient passenger numbers.

“Despite promises being made that this service would be replaced with a new PSO service, the Government and NTA have failed to implement this service, claiming that no funding was available,” said Deputy O’Hara.

He called it unacceptable for a large a growing commuter town like Athenry to be left without a bus service, leading to difficulties for workers, students, people attending appointments and others.

He also claimed that the trains running between the town and Galway City are “dangerously overcrowded” and there is no direct link to the universities, hospitals or industrial estates from Athenry.

More than 1,700 people signed an online petition launched by TD O’Hara, supporting the demand for improved transport connectivity for the town.

“I am regularly contacted by commuters at their wits end because of overcrowded, infrequent and unreliable services and improvements are badly needed in these areas,” he continued.