Plans emerge for launch of Letterkenny town bus service - Donegal Daily

Calls have been renewed for an interim Letterkenny bus service as passengers could face another year without a town bus. The National Transport Authority is pre...

Calls have been renewed for an interim Letterkenny bus service as passengers could face another year without a town bus.

The National Transport Authority is preparing to seek an operator for two new routes under a €24.34 million contract for an initial five years.

A new procurement notice sets out plans for routes LY1 and LY2, with six buses required at peak times and an option to extend the operating contract by a further two years.

Passengers would travel on single-deck, low-floor buses designed to make boarding easier, with wheelchair access and at least one dedicated wheelchair space on each vehicle.

Each bus must have a minimum of 32 fixed seats and an overall capacity of at least 51 passengers, including standing passengers and a wheelchair user.

Under the contract, the operator will provide depot facilities, while the NTA will supply a ticketing system.

It's hoped that service would provide an alternative to car travel as Letterkenny continues to grapple with traffic congestion.

Letterkenny Fine Gael Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh welcomes the latest development after campaigning for funding alongside Senator Manus Boyle.

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Last month, Cllr Kavanagh said that the NTA had indicated to the Seanad that the Letterkenny town service would be forwarded to the Department for consideration in this year’s Budget.

Cllr Kavanagh said: “This procurement document, published by the NTA on 14th October, now confirms that this has happened. The envisaged start date of late 2027 for the service is welcome news for the town.”

Cllr Kavanagh has renewed his call for temporary transport provision while preparations for the new service continue.

“I would still like to see an interim service to replace the old private town bus service until the new bus service is in place, because many elderly and disabled people depended on it,” he said.

“But it is very welcome news that we will have a proper town service that a town the size of Letterkenny merits and badly needs, hopefully by the end of 2027.”

The advance procurement notice gives bus operators warning of the planned competition to run the service.

Letterkenny’s previous privately-run town bus service, which was under licence issued by the NTA, ceased earlier this year.

Separately, Donegal County Council is seeking a design team for the Letterkenny Transport Hub, which is planned between the Pearse Road and Port Road. The hub is set to include a public building, bus bays, a taxi rank, parking and public spaces. The design services contract has an estimated value of €700,000, with tenders due by Friday 6th November.