The National Transport Authority has been urged by Minister of State Noel Grealish to scrap plans for a change to the bus route linking north-east Galway with the city – warning that it could add 40 minutes to the daily commute for passengers.
Bus Éireann’s 425a service currently runs between Mountbellew and Galway via Caltra, Menlough, Monivea and Carnmore, four times a day each way.
But the NTA is planning to redirect the service through Athenry, adding to the journey times for commuters … and cutting out a six-kilometre stretch of the Monivea Road.
The authority is currently inviting submissions in a public consultation on the proposed change, and Minister Grealish has urged anyone affected to make their views known on nationaltransport.ie, before January 9.
The Galway West Independent TD has written to the NTA stressing that he understands and supports the need for improved services to and from Athenry, following the decision of a private bus company to discontinue its licensed seven-runs-a-day services between Galway and Athenry in September 2024.
“But this is not the solution,” he stressed, pointing out that there was clearly a big demand for the current service, which was used by many people commuting to work in the city.
“Passenger numbers have hugely increased – by 660% – in the two years since the upgrading of the 425a TFI bus service in December 2023.
“The NTA at that time doubled the frequency of this bus service and provided new weekend bus services on the route, and the fact that almost seven times more passengers are using it today speaks volumes for the necessity of that change.
“But the proposed change of route, diverting it through Athenry after Monivea and bypassing one large area entirely, threatens to undermine that achievement.”
Minister Grealish said that the NTA’ s own information indicated that passengers on the proposed new route would have an additional journey time, estimated to be “a minimum of 12 minutes additional travel time” for those travelling to the city from the Mountbellew, Caltra, Menlough and Monivea areas.
“This, it says, may vary depending on traffic conditions. The reality is that this could very easily become an additional 20 minutes’ travelling time – or up to 40 minutes extra each day for return trips.
“This change is, I believe, a retrograde step that will only encourage people back into their cars. The prospect of an extra 40 minutes on the bus everyday will not encourage anyone to stick with public transport.”
Minister Grealish said that there were six new stops, each way, to be added to the journey – with no intention of increasing the frequency of the buses.
“Meanwhile, people living along a six-kilometre stretch of rural road in the heart of the county, from Monivea to Cussaun Cross, are effectively being left high and dry by this proposed change, which removes the Roundfield bus stop from the route, as the bus will take a new direction into Athenry after Monivea.
“To say they will be served by the new 416 Tuam-Athenry Local Link bus service, is frankly nonsensical.
“Anyone living along this stretch of road would now be expected to get two buses, the 416 Local Link initially into Athenry and take a train or bus to Galway from there,” he said, adding hours to their commute every week.
“In addition to those using the service to get to work every day, there are many older people in this area who rely on the 425a to bring them to medical appointments, shopping or social meetings. The withdrawal of the direct service to the city will serve to increase their sense of isolation,” added Minister Grealish.
