*Photograph: Joe Buckley
ENNIS is “next in line” for a town bus service with an announcement expected “fairly soon” from the National Transport Authority to confirm when operations can commence.
An indicative implementation date of 2025 had been set by the NTA for the town bus service in Ennis, while there have been setbacks met along the way, the wheels are almost in motion for the county town’s new service.
Speaking at the AGM of the Ennis Municipal District, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) outlined that work was ongoing for the service. “We will be announcing fairly soon the NTA launch of the Ennis Bus Service”.
She continued, “we’ve been waiting long enough, we’re next in line, there are some minor issues to be sorted but as of my mind we’re gone to public tender. We’ll have buses moving north, east, south and west of the town”.
Cllr Mary Howard (FG) told Clare FM in June that the town bus would be operational before autumn. “The bus stops have gone out for tender, some of the lollipop poles have gone up, that is progress, we’re waiting for them to start, we’re very optimistic that we should have it before the autumn”.
According to the NTA, the new Ennis Town Bus service will be up and running by the end of 2025. Once in place, two routes will offer services to run eighteen hours a day. The NTA have stated that seven in ten Ennis residents will live within 400m of a bus stop and nine in ten will live within 800m of a bus stop.
Funding uncertainty within the NTA in November 2023 poured doubt over the whole project but the case made for Munster’s largest town was strong enough to secure the necessary funds. Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) previously told The Clare Echo the total initial cost would be in the region of €800,000.
