Bus blocked from entering estate
A Local Link bus was prevented from driving between Lakepoint and Gleann Petit on Thursday morning by a resident opposed to a proposal to route the proposed town bus service through the estates.
It is understood that the vehicle was on a trial run for the Mullingar town bus service.
The resident prevented the bus from going between Lakepoint and Gleann Petit by blocking the passage between the two estates with his car.
Council staff had temporarily removed the bollards installed on the path to enable the bus to pass between the estates. If the route is chosen, the council say that the current bollards will be replaced by automated versions.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, a resident from Gleann Petit, who asked that his name not be published, said that many householders are opposed to the proposals, primarily due to safety concerns.
The resident criticised the council for failing to inform residents that the trial run was taking place. He said that the first thing he and his neighbours knew about it was when they heard someone cutting the locks on the bollards with an angle grinder.
“I went out and asked him what he was doing. He said he was removing the locks and the poles because they were testing a bus in the next 15 minutes through the estate and that was all he knew about it.”
The resident said that the pedestrian passage between Gleann Petit and Lakepoint is at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac where many of the homeowners have children who play outside on the street and on the nearby green.
“There shouldn’t be any bus running through the estate, especially every 20 minutes. For everyone in the estate with children, it’s a massive concern.”
The resident, a father of three children, also said that the width of the path that the bus would have to pass though is narrow, as is the road through the cul-de-sac into the rest of the estate.
“A lot of people have only one parking space and park their second cars on the road. Sometimes it can be difficult for the bin lorry to get in here.
“I’m not sure how they will tackle that. Will people not be allowed to park in front of their houses?”
County council statement
When contacted by the Westmeath Examiner, Westmeath County Council issued this statement: National Transport Authority (NTA) Funding has been allocated in Budget 2025 for the provision of the Mullingar Town Bus Service.
Westmeath County Council are currently working with the NTA to progress the Mullingar Bus Service, which is due to go to procurement by the end of 2024. The routes for the new service are currently being finalised and it is expected that it will be operational in 2025.
The town has reached a size and diversity of services that a town bus service is required to ensure its sustainable development into the future. We forecast that many people in Mullingar will use the new service when going about their busy lives.
The use of buses by the people of Mullingar, for regular travel, will limit dependence on the private car for mobility and will build on recent town centre enhancements and develop the existing environment by creating a new sustainable and convenient transport mode.
(Further response from the council on being asked to provide more information to the above:)
Given the time lapse since their installation, it was necessary to open the bollards in this manner, the locks were replaced immediately after the route testing was completed.