When I first became a councillor, I was told that Kilkenny didn’t have the population for a bus service. Now I’m proud to say that both Kilkenny and Carlow have two bus routes each thanks to significant investment by the Green Party.
The new Carlow town bus launched in 2023 has been a roaring success. Most of the town now lives close to a bus stop and figures show over 10,000 passengers are using the new buses every single week. We’ve also launched new LocalLink services connecting Kilkenny and Carlow to nearby towns like New Ross, Naas and Athy. They’ve been incredibly popular and more LocalLink routes are planned for the region. Across the country, we’re now launching one new or improved rural LocalLink bus route every week.
In 2022, the Green Party implemented a 20% price cut on all public transport fares in Ireland - the first reduction in Irish public transport fares in 75 years. But we didn’t stop there. There’s a further 50% reduction for 19-25 year olds using the Young Adult Leap card, and next year, public transport will be made free for all children under nine.
Unprecedented investment in public transport has seen enhancement of our train services too. Carlow and Kilkenny now have a late train leaving Dublin at 8:20pm instead of 6:35pm. This is something I had been working to deliver for many years, and it’s made the train an option for so many more commuters, tourists and day-trippers. It also offers an evening service from Carlow or Kilkenny on to Waterford, servicing Muine Bheag and Thomastown. Another key enhancement of the train service is the addition of an extra Sunday service. In August 2024, the number of Sunday services operating on the line was increased from four to five in each direction.
These improvements, combined with the availability of mobile tickets on Kilkenny city buses as well as trains servicing Carlow and Kilkenny, are making life easier for people and making public transport a more affordable, convenient and attractive way for people to get around their local areas. That’s reflected in the record-breaking numbers for public transport usage we’ve seen recently, with 2023 being the busiest year ever for public transport in Ireland.
If we return to government the Green Party will deliver a €10bn package that will transform public transport and deliver the capacity, the frequency and the speed we need to safeguard inward investment and jobs; allow us better plan our urban areas; reduce emissions; and improve the commuter experience.
As our record on public transport shows, while others talk, Greens deliver!
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