Good news for Kinnitty

Permanent funding has been secured for a night-time bus service which has been operating on a trial basis in the general Kinnitty area. The bus service is provided by the Local Link Laois Offaly on behalf of the National Transport Authority.

It along with 54 other evening services aross the country had been piloted for an 18-month period. However, the NTA has now confirmed that the services will now be mainstreamed for funding within the Rural Transport Programme.

The Kinnitty service recorded an average of 37 weekly users over the pilot period, a new report has found. The service runs once on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Margaret Malone, Rural Transport Manager, NTA said: “We are very encouraged by the findings in this report and what they indicate about the transport habits of those living in rural areas. During summer in particular, it is clear that demand exists for services well into the evening, and the Rural Transport Programme is well positioned to provide local residents with late-night transport. With the continuation of 55 evening services in 2020, we hope the trend of evening travel will continue to serve residents well.”