Big rise in Local Link passenger numbers in Laois/Offaly hailed

There has been a five-fold increase in the number of passengers using Local Link bus services in Laois Offaly since 2020 - from 28,000 passengers in 2020, the latest numbers from TFI show this has soared to over 153,000 in 2023.

Ekaterina Koneva, Local Green Party Representative for Birr, welcomed the increase as an example of how the Green Party is using its position in Government to boost public transport and reduce car dependency;

"This is part of a national rollout of 66 new Local Link services and 39 expanded services across the country since 2020, including, for example, the daily bus route number 850 Athlone-Roscrea, which connects three counties and picks up passengers in Shinrone, Birr, Cloghan and other small towns and villages in County Offaly.

"This increase has been driven by the Green Party’s commitment to improving rural public transport, giving people an opportunity to travel who otherwise could not, and giving others the choice to travel more sustainably and leave the car at home," she said

"These figures show that there is a strong appetite for reliable and affordable public transport in Offaly. By opening new routes, bus travel is becoming more appealing to everybody living in our area and a strong competitor to car travel. This development will revitalise previously neglected regions, providing a very effective means of taking cars off our roads, reducing congestion, and harmful emissions.”