More capacity needed on 109 bus service

Sinn Féin Senator Pauline Tully has once again called for improvements on the 109X service linking Cavan and Dublin.

On top of that, the local Oireachtas member wants to see major investment in public transport services locally including more bus stops on Local Link routes, funding for road repairs, and commitments to bring forward the rail network plan for Cavan currently scheduled after 2040.

Addressing Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State at the department, Jerry Buttimer, in the Seanad last week, Sen Tully opened by reminding that, when public transport is discussed in a Cavan context, this means “we are dependent on a bus service”.

Regarding the 109X service, Sen Tully stated she had received “all sorts of promises” from the NTA yet capacity on the returning leg from Dublin to Cavan remains a “continual problem”.

“People are left standing at bus stops every day on the hourly buses that leave after 3pm, 4pm and 5pm and sometimes the later ones also. People could be waiting up to three hours to get a bus service home. Bus drivers have raised this constantly with Bus Éireann, which sends it to the NTA. They all blame each other and nobody does anything about it.”

She added, while Cavan has a “pretty good” Local Link service, there is “always room for more”, giving the example of the Cavan-Ballinagh-Kilnaleck route and stating that more stops are needed between the three towns.

“Due to the lack of rail and a limited bus service, we are dependent on our roads. We have approximately 3,000km of local roads and they are in an atrocious condition. The money coming in is very limited. Last year, in one engineering area of roughly 1,000 km of local road, only 13km could be repaired. This was all the funding that was provided. We need ten times this to address it. The roads are deteriorating and disintegrating in front of our eyes.

“There was a train service in Cavan and Monaghan but there is none now. Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Fermanagh, Tyrone and this area is included in the all-island strategic rail review but it is very late, coming after 2040. It is to connect Armagh to Cavan and down to Mullingar. We really would appreciate a rail service. It was foolish that the one there was closed but, unfortunately, there was no foresight. I ask this to be brought forward as it would be very welcome,” she concluded.