Five new rural bus services launched

Cavan Area Rural Transport (CART) is piloting five new routes, which will give the travelling public greater access to public transport and access to the Bus Éireann national network. One of the highlights of the programme is a new service linking Cavan Bus Station with Cavan General Hospital. CART, which is currently funded until the end of this year, provides a unique door-to-door service in rural areas when booked in advance. Private operators are being used to implement this new pilot scheme under the Rural Transport Programme. The need for a link from the bus station to the hospital was highlighted by a CART committee member. The CART Transport co-ordinator Damien O'Neill said the pilot programme is the best and most efficient way to ascertain what the need is on the ground. The service to Cavan General from the bus station links directly with the Bus Éireann 166 service, which serves Dundalk, Carrickmacross, Shercock, and Cootehill and Cavan on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Then on Tuesday and Thursday it goes via Kingscourt and Bailieborough to Cavan. The bus will be leaving the bus station for the hospital at 11.35am and returning at 1.20pm to arrive at the bus station at 1.30pm, for the return journey home via Bus Éireann. This service to the hospital is being operated by Floods. There is also a Dublin link service on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Kilnaleck via Killyfassy Cross, Ballyjamesduff to Virginia, where it meets the Bus Éireann service to Dublin at 9.25am. The next new service runs from Killeshandra via Ardlougher, Milltown, Aghalane and Belturbet to Cavan and is available on Thursdays. It departs Killeshandra at 9.30am and arrives in Cavan at 11am. Damien O'Neill says that Bus Éireann already has a link that goes from Killeshandra via Arva to Cavan. However, research showed there was a requirement for the service via Ardlougher, Drumlane and into Belturbet. It has a dual purpose according to Mr O'Neill. It can be used to access Belturbet and go on to Cavan town and the Hospital. He added that they have been frequently asked to provide a service in and around Bailieborough. There is no Bus Éireann service from Shercock to Cavan on Thursdays, so CART is stepping in to run a bus from Shercock to Bailieborough to link up with the Bus Éireann service to Cavan. Then on Fridays CART will be operating a service from Bailieboro via Beglieve, Canningstown and onto Cootehill for 11am. This service also links with the Bus Éireann service from Dundalk to Cavan. All the new services has been formulated to specifically link in with the Bus Éireann services. Mr O'Neill says this programme is all part of the local innovative transport scheme.