New transport task force to address failings in Donegal

A new task force has been set up in an attempt to address public transport issues across Donegal.

Various agencies are contributing to the group.

The Donegal Transport Task Force has been formed by the Donegal Local Community Development Committee (LCDC). Members have also been drawn from the HSE, IBEC, Donegal ETB, ATU Donegal, Údarás na Gaeltachta and the local enterprise office.

“At every meeting of the LCDC, transport, or rather the lack of transport, comes up in certain areas,” Councillor Niamh Kennedy, the Chair of the Donegal LCDC, told a meeting on Friday with the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan.

“One thing that we need is a website for the county, where someone can come in and click to see where a nearest route. We have set up the task force with all the major players on it.”

At the same meeting, Councillor Patrick McGowan told Minister Ryan that Donegal was being ‘failed dismally’ by Bus Éireann, while Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh highlighted issues over access for disabled users.

On six occasions in 2023, he accompanied a disabled person using Bus Éireann for medical appointments. “Bus Éireann got it right on one day,” Councillor Kavanagh said. “Of the other five, on three occasions a non-accessible bus turned up and on two the driver wasn’t trained to use the lift. It is a real problem.”

Councillor Kennedy said that there are 96 busses daily that stop in Donegal Town. Transport hubs in process in Donegal Town and Letterkenny will be welcomed, she said.

“We can see a lot more busses on routes, but there are possibly not enough on some areas. There will be conversations going forward.

“We also need to look at infrastructure like bus shelters in more rural areas. When there are no bus shelters and an area is very rural it can cause a lot of difficulty for people. You also have new people coming in to very rural areas, going to school or work and from side roads with very little lighting.”

Councillor Kennedy says that the plan behind the joined-up-thinking approach is that hospital and clinic times, college lectures, industrial work times could all be taken into account.

Minister Ryan said that the Local Link service has been a real benefit and can also be enhanced. He also urged the Council to look at other ‘solutions’, such as drop offs from bus stops to homes.