Removal of bus stop in West Waterford will affect vulnerable people
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The decision made by the TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) to remove a busy bus stop at Grange has received considerable criticism from local councillors. At the December sitting of the Dungarvan-Lismore District Council, Councillors were informed that the alternative solution, to have the bus stop be located in the car park of a nearby Church has also been rejected by the TII.
Councillor Pat Nugent asked, “What’s the up-to-date situation with the CIA bus at Grange, if it is negative, what is the solution?”
Councillor Kate O’Mahony also asked for an update about the bus stop. She said that she and Deputy Conor McGuinness have written to the Minister of Transport and sought meetings with Bus Éireann, but “we’re at nothing.”
Director of Roads Gabriel Hynes told the Council that he met with the TII.
He said, “We had a good discussion. The outcome of that discussion is that they’re not satisfied that the car park has ample room for them to turn. They also have concerns that during funerals, it would pose difficulties for them, which I understand."
He concluded: "The option of TII using the car park has been considered and the answer is no."
“The bus stop in Grange can’t return in the shorter term."
Councillor Tom Cronin said, “About fifteen years ago, I fought to make sure there’d be a bus stop there. Since that bus stop went in there, there was actually no crash, there was no accident, nothing to do with the bus stopping there. There was no one injured, there was no one knocked down.
“In fairness Gabriel did put serious pressure on to try and get the car park to be the new bus stop in Grange but look, it didn’t happen.
“Who suffers there now is people that don’t have their own transport, people that are not able to drive.
He ended on a rather morose note: “There’s no funding available for the local link.”
In 2021, the government introduced a 2:1 spending ratio on public transport to roads. The government has removed this commitment earlier this month under the revised National Development plan.
Read more about public transport issues in Waterford here
