Ashbourne population has ‘substantially increased’, but bus services have not, says Meath councillor
The lack of bus services in Ashbourne is leaving residents "stranded”, a Meath councillor has said.
At the March meeting of the Ashbourne Municipal District, Sinn Féin councillor Helen Meyer called on Meath County Council to contact the National Transport Authority (NTA) to discuss plans for increasing bus services in the town.
“The population has substantially increased, but the bus services have not,” Cllr Meyer said.
“Buses are full, leaving passengers stranded at bus stops. In addition, bus services are being cancelled on an unprecedented scale. Urgent action is required.”
In response, Meath County Council said its role is limited to assisting the NTA with infrastructure such as bus stops, while the operational aspects of bus services remain the responsibility of the NTA and bus operators.
“Given the respective statutory roles of the NTA and the council, we continue to recommend that matters relating to the provision and operation of bus services are raised and followed up with the NTA directly,” the council said.
Speaking afterwards, Cllr Meyer said she “strongly disagrees” with the idea that the council’s “only responsibility is to assist in providing bus services.”
“The council must take a more proactive approach to ensure the social infrastructure needs of local residents are fully addressed,” she said.
“Planning approval conditions should mandate the inclusion of a bus stop, shelter, and seating, especially for large-scale developments with over 100 houses, such as the Coaches project.”
The councillor said the Coaches development alone is planned to include 768 housing units, potentially adding around 2,000 new residents to Ashbourne.
“While ongoing development and new housing are welcome, there is a clear shortfall in the provision of supporting infrastructure.”
"We must do a much better job to ensure that essential services keep pace with population growth, which is currently not the case,” she said.
“During my meeting with the NTA last year, they confirmed there were no plans to add an additional bus stop at Coaches, though they agreed to review the situation.”
"They further indicated that, while an increase in bus services is under review, there are currently no concrete plans to expand them.”
Cllr Meyer added: “Developments of this scale should not receive planning approval without a comprehensive transportation audit, incorporating local knowledge rather than relying on a third-party contractor, to guarantee the NTA addresses the resulting increase in demand.”
Meanwhile, it was also agreed at the meeting to invite the NTA to the next Ashbourne Municipal District meeting in April, and an invitation will be sent accordingly.