Roll out of extra rural bus routes
Funding boost for Louthlinx services
MAJOR funding has been secured to help roll out new routes for Louthlinx, the rural transport service for the region.
Already people living in the likes of Togher and Collon benefit from the scheme and an expansion is planned for April and May this year.
'I regularly travel on the buses in each of the areas, and see the difference that the transport programme has made to people of all ages in rural parts of Louth,' stated the transport coordinator Kevin Traynor at the launch of the project.
'I know of one elderly gentleman, who had no option but to walk from Togher to get his weekly shopping in Drogheda. Now, thanks to the funding he gets the bus from his door, meets his neighbours on the bus and I think has a bit of craic, and is safely deposited home'.
The Mid-Louth Independent featured the scheme last month and it helped increase the awareness of the service even further.
'Further funding of € 198,000 has now been allocated for 2009 and Louth Leader Partnership aims to maintain and increase passenger numbers on the existing services and also establish new routes in areas of most need,' Kevin added.
Up to last year, Louth was the only county in Ireland without a rural transport programme but thanks to funding of € 87,500 from Pobal and Department of Transport, a service was launched late in the year.
'The response to the new service has been extremely positive, and this is shown by the fact that between November 2008 and February 2009 alone, over 600 passengers have availed of the rural transport service in the county,' the coordinator continued.
The transport programme was officially launched on Monday in the Collon Parish Centre by Minister Dermot Ahern.
- HUBERT MURPHY
