A Sinn Fein councillor has declare that the National Transport Authority (NTA) needs to up its allocation to Meath for the provision of bus stops throughout the county. Helen Meyer called on Meath County Council to call on the Nta to increase its present allocation of €500,000.
Public transport was essential for mobility, flexibility and sustainability. Bus stops, shelters and seats were essential parts of that infrastructure, she said. Many bus stops needed urgent improvement. There was inadequate shelters, lack of seating, poor lighting and limited accessibility for elderly passengers and those with disabilities.
“These shortcomings discourage public transport users, particularly during bad weather or at night. Every bus stop should have shelter and seating as standard. This is my third year on the council and I have repeatedly asked for bus shelters on various routes and at this stage there is no indication that any of these things will happen anytime soon”.
Active travel arrangements in Ashbourne were welcome but during 60 days of successive rain in the Winter very few people were cycling, she said. “They (NTA) clearly need to increase their funding. It’s clearly not enough for what we need. I would also ask that the council step up and do something about providing proper bus infrastructure. I urge the council to make life more comfortable for our residents. One residents said to me that we are paying Scandinavian taxes but getting Albanian infrastructure”.
“We must do better for our community. The (fuel) protests over the last week or so are a result of people not being listened to. We are here to represent those people who have legitimate concerns.” In supporting remarks Aontu Cllr Emer Toibin said that there should be matching financial allocation pitched to population growth.
