Community effort pays off in fight for much-needed new Waterford bus route
Members of the local community celebrate the new 358 TFI Local Link bus route as it stopped off at one of its new stops at Carbally Community Centre. Photo: Joe Evans
Rural communities in Waterford have successfully procured a much-needed new bus link to Waterford city.
Local Link Waterford announced recently that the 358 Tramore to Waterford City service would be enhanced following efforts from locals.
The route will now serve more of the locality and stop at Ballymacaw village and Carbally Community Centre.
This change will mean there is no longer a bus stop at Shanakiel in Dunmore East but there is a new stop on Coxtown Road just after the junction with Convent Road.
Members of the local community gathered at Carbally Community Centre last week to welcome the arrival of the first bus to serve the new route.
Secretary of the bus committee, Johnny O’Grady, said that the new link is thanks to the work of locals who rallied to support its implementation.
“The link used to bypass Ballymacaw totally and it didn’t pick up anybody across the route to Dunmore East, so over the last year and a half we were all working together to try and get this sorted," Johnny said.
“It was a lot of toing-and-froing but eventually we got it up and running. It’s good for everybody and it shows the strength of the community. It’s a really great service for us now and since last week it's been used extensively by locals.
"It’s a big achievement and it shows the perseverance of the local community. When a community works together to achieve something that’s right it does work. Common sense prevailed."
Johnny added that users of Carbally Community Centre will now have easy access to the various activities that are held in the locality. The new bus will also serve people looking for easier access to the cliff walk from Dunmore East to Ballymacaw.
A very important committee member who rallied to get the new route implemented, Tommy Keogh, celebrated his 70th birthday the same day that the service commenced.
“He was one of the main men who was pushing for this bus," Johnny said.
Like so many others in the community, Tommy has already become an avid user of the new service.
