THE National Transport Authority (NTA­) have pulled the brakes on plans to bring the new Ennis Town Bus Service along the N85 Lahinch Road, with the Shanaway Road now the preferred route.

The decision has caused massive disappointment for families living on the Lahinch Road in Ennis according to Councillor Mary Howard (FG), urging that the route be once again included.

While Councillor Tommy Guilfoyle (SF) believes the bus service won’t be a success if it doesn’t service that part of the county capital.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Ennis Municipal District, Councillor Howard vowed to continue to raise the issue saying, “I think that we have a fight on our hands with the NTA”.

Eamon O’Dea, senior engineer informed the meeting that the NTA considered the demand and network characteristics of both route options and while “both have merit, the conclusion is that we should select the Shanaway Road”.

He outlined the decision was made because, “There are more options to provide bus stop infrastructure close to residential areas, to help maximise coverage of the route; Shanaway Road is of a character where it is more appropriate to install infrastructure for buses to turn around and wait in-between journeys; and selection of Shanaway Road will ensure that we can deliver required key infrastructure quickly so as not to delay launch.”

He said the council intend to include a set of bus stops close to the Shanaway Road/N85 junction, “meaning that people from the residential areas along the N85 will have a bus stop as close to them as possible”.

Also, as part of the ongoing Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility programme, the council propose to “enhance bus services along the N85 between Ennis and west Clare and to introduce new bus stops with infrastructure along the N85 close to Inisgrove/Acha Bhile.

“These new stops, coupled with the increase in services, will mean residents will also benefit from having a direct, accessible bus to Ennis town centre and railway station.”

Councillor Howard said she was “not one bit happy” with the response, pointing out that the Lahinch Road had been part of discussions on the new bus service “from the get go”.

She said plans for the service had been widely welcomed by residents of the Lahinch Road including Acha Bhile and Shanballa, saying many of the residents of these areas are young families without access to cars.

She said the Shanaway Road road also has a need for a bus service, however she urged that the decision to shelve the Lahinch Road plans be re-examined saying this route is “more urgent because of the volume of people.”

“This new bus service is going to be hugely important for the town, and I just would love to see that the Lahinch Road, as was originally planned when we sat down many, many months ago when we were working out where the bus stops are going to be, that it will be put back on the map.”

Mayor of Ennis Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) said it was a “good motion” saying plans for the new service had come up regularly with the public during the local elections and at the time all councillors believed it would be going out the Lahinch Road.

Seconding the motion, Councillor Guilfoyle, also criticised the termination of the service at the Ballymaley Business Park instead of going as far as Barefield urging the routes be revisited.

“We’re terminating and directing these buses in the wrong way, in the wrong direction, and stopping them in the wrong places,” he said.

“The Lahinch Road is a highly populated area of the town. It’s a tributary road out of the town, and it needs to be serviced by a bus route. The bus route, I believe, won’t be successful if we don’t service the Lahinch road off it.”

Councillor Tom O’Callaghan (FF) said the Lahinch Road, “needs to be given priority” while offering his “full support” to the motion saying “we need to reduce congestion in that area”.

Mr O’Dea told the councillors the assessment and location of the routes are based on “the economics as set out by the NTA planners. We don’t decide the exact route”.

He reiterated plans for a bus stop on the town side of Acha Bhile which will be serviced by Bus Connect and stop at Dunnes as well as the bus station which will be an increase on the current level of service.

He said he would speak with the NTA again, however he said infrastructural issues could also be a factor in the decision not to chose the Lahinch Road.

While both areas have different characteristics in terms of housing schemes he said the NTA look at the statistics and “the numbers are almost similar in population terms on both roads”.

He continued, “I’ll go back to them again but presently they have the Shanaway Road on their list and there are a number of reasons for that.”

Councillor Howard said she was “very disappointed” in the response vowing to continue to fight for the Lahinch Road to be included. “I’m like a terrier with a bone, I won’t let this go and I’ll be bringing it up again in the future.”