Bus customers in Waterford doubled since 2022
Number of customers in Waterford double since rollout of Connecting Ireland began in January 2022. Photo: Damien Eagers / Julien Behal Photography
Passenger numbers on the Local Link buses in Waterford have more than doubled since the rollout of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, leaving the NTA “completely blown away by the success” of the plan.
Across Ireland, journey numbers have reached a record highs, with more than 100,000 TFI Local Link bus journeys in Ireland, including 6,931 passengers per week in Waterford.
Run by the National Transport Authority, Local Link services carried 105,986 passengers in October – more than a five-fold increase compared to January 2022, when there were just 19,982 weekly passengers.
In Waterford, passenger numbers have more than doubled since 2020, driven by the introduction or enhancement of nine routes including; the 358, Tramore to Waterford; 367, Dungarvan to Tramore; and the 667, Waterford to Dungarvan.
2024 is the third year of a five-year implementation plan for Connecting Ireland. Some 60 percent of the proposed services are now in place, with the remainder to be introduced in the coming years.
“We have seen a transformation in public transport across rural Ireland and going by the numbers, people really like it,” said Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, “Reaching this milestone of 100,000 passengers a week is incredible but I’d like to think of it as just the beginning. We need to have buses cris-crossing this country and reaching into towns and villages everywhere.” “I want to extend my thanks to the Local Link offices, operators, and passengers who have made this achievement possible. The exponential growth we’re seeing – up five fold in just four years in many places - highlights the importance of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan in delivering improved access and inclusion for rural Ireland.” “We are building not just a better-connected Ireland, but a more sustainable, equitable, and vibrant one—thanks to the hard work of everyone involved.” The CEO of the National Transport Authority, Anne Graham, said that the achievement “is a direct result of the dedication and hard work by a whole range of people and the continued support from passengers who have embraced the service.
“Reaching 100,000 passengers per week would not have been possible without the incredible commitment of the Local Link Offices and their staff as well as the drivers and the local bus operators, and I’d like to thank everyone who is involved.
“I was always optimistic that Connecting Ireland would prove to be a transformative plan for rural communities, but honestly, I’m completely blown away by the success story that it has become across the country. And we’re not finished yet!”
