New bus route for West Cavan

A little over a month after Bus Éireann cut its main Dublin to Donegal route to exclude towns and villages in West Cavan, a local transport operator is to begin providing its own alternative route servicing the area, The Anglo-Celt can reveal. Leydons Coaches of Swanlinbar officially received licensing approval last Friday, November 16 from the National Transport Authority (NTA), and told the Celt it's their intention to begin operating their three-times-daily, seven-days-per-week service from early December. The new route, it is hoped will run from Swanlinbar, via Ballinamore, while a request has been placed with the management committee of Cavan General Hospital and the HSE in the hope of arranging a stop-off and pick-up service at the hospital also. The Anglo-Celt was present in Ballyconnell at the beginning of October when over 20 concerned West Cavan residents and local bus users gathered, shocked at the announcement that national transport provider, Bus Éireann was to remove Ballyconnell, Bawnboy and Swanlinbar from regularly serviced routes. Bus Éireann said at the time that the route via West Cavan was no longer viable for them to operate, however, speaking to The Anglo-Celt on Monday, Michael Leydon of Leydon Coaches says he's hopeful, given the reaction to the initial cut, that running the route will be successful for the local bus company. "We listened to what the people had to say and heard what they wanted and that was a regular service which arrived in Cavan and gave people enough time to get their few bits done. We have the licence now, which we're delighted about, and we hope to have it up and running by December 10, giving both customers and the NTA 10-days notice." Michael, who operates the company along with his brother with Martin, told The Anglo-Celt they were now also seeking to apply for an International Bus Licence to operate a route between the West Cavan area and Enniskillen. Margaret Brady from Bawnboy, one of the local people who rallied against the cuts, couldn't contain her delight, saying the new Leydon's route, soon to be in place was "like getting my independence back." "Relying on friends and family for lifts, both to Cavan and the hospital when it was gone, it wasn't fair what Bus Éireann did, not for me or anyone else living in this area. It's brilliant that we now have a route back, I'm delighted".