National Transport Authority proposes new bus service for this Kildare town
The National Transport Authority ( NTA ) has proposed the establishment of a new bus service for one of the busiest County Kildare towns.
The announcement has been welcomed by Social Democrats councillor Chris Pender, who represents the Kildare- Newbridge Municipal District.
Cllr Pender also revealed that a public consultation in relation to this proposed service is due to launch within the next few weeks.
In addition, the NTA has confirmed that the proposal will consider connections to and from Athgarvan.
According to Cllr Pender, he first brought a formal motion on the matter to the MD’s attention back in 2023, in which he called on Kildare County Council to write to the NTA seeking the introduction of a town or orbital bus service in the Newbridge area.
His motion at the time specifically sought connections between residential areas, schools, healthcare facilities and shopping centres.
Pender also said that the need to connect the service with Newbridge Train Station was also raised during this discussion.
During the meeting, Kildare County Council agreed to write to the NTA.
Explaining his views of the NTA’s latest announcement, Cllr Pender said: “This is something I have been pushing for consistently for the last three years, so getting direct confirmation from the NTA that a Newbridge town bus is now being proposed, and that we are approaching public consultation, is a significant step.
“I wanted a service connecting our estates with schools, healthcare, shopping, the town centre and the train station, and that remains the test I’ll apply to whatever route the NTA now puts forward.”
Pender also claimed that he continued to pursue the proposal through the preparation and adoption of the Newbridge Settlement Plan.
His submission sought earlier delivery of the town bus, coverage of the town’s most populated areas, links with employment and education, and strong connections with other public transport.
“During the formal consideration of the Settlement Plan, I brought amendments seeking to ensure that major employment areas, including Littleconnell, Great Connell and Crotanstown, were served by the town bus and wider public transport network,” Cllr Pender said. “I also sought bus priority infrastructure on key corridors including Main Street, Eyre Street and Ballymany Road, and pushed for Newbridge Train Station to operate as a stronger interchange between rail, town bus and regional bus services.”
Moreover, Cllr Pender said that he returned to the issue the MD meeting back in March, when he formally asked whether a planned meeting between Kildare County Council and the NTA on the Newbridge Town Bus had taken place. He also sought the outcome of that meeting, delivery timelines and next steps.
Furthermore, Cllr Pender has asserted that the consultation will now be ‘critical’ for Newbridge and Athgarvan residents.
He elaborated: “I want people to look closely at what is proposed when the consultation opens.
“We need to look at where the buses actually go, which estates they reach, how they connect with the train station, schools, healthcare and employment areas, how frequently they run, and what hours they operate.
“I have consistently argued that this needs to be a proper seven-day town service; it needs to work for someone going to work early in the morning, a student getting to school, an older person getting to an appointment, or somebody getting home later in the evening.”
Cllr Pender also emphasised: “We are not at the finish line yet; the route still has to go through consultation and there is a lot of detail we need to see.
“However, we have moved from asking the NTA to develop a service, to the NTA actively preparing one and getting ready to put it before the public.”
He concluded by vowing to ‘engage fully’ with the consultation and also working to ‘encourage people across Newbridge and the surrounding area to have their say’ on the proposed service.
Cllr Pender also made headlines earlier this month in relation to the topic of public transport when he criticised the NTA’s intention for a 15 per cent bus and train fare hike, which will take effect from January 2027.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.