‘One of the greatest success stories’
Local Link bus service carried almost half a million passengers in 2024
Heralded as one of the best initiatives rolled out in the county, Local Link Tipperary has had its most successful year, carrying some 435,338 passengers in 2024.
While almost half of these were in Clonmel, there are plans to expand the bus services in the north of the county, including the existing Roscrea to Nenagh service. A new service between Nenagh and Clonmel is also to be added.
Operated by Transport For Ireland (TFI), Local Link Tipperary has been growing from strength-to-strength since the rural transport initiative was rolled out in 2002. It began with the Kilcommon Upperchurch Transport Initiative and Borrisokane Community Bus, and has spread over the years to offer a wide range of services throughout Tipperary, including more than 50 door-to-door services.
Local Link was set up to identify areas of unmet transport needs and liaise with relevant agencies to address such needs. One of 15 Local Links funded by the National Transport Authority, the Tipperary initiative aims to provide accessibility to transport for all citizens, regardless of their means or abilities.
Among the options offered by Local Link Tipperary are the Regular Rural Services (RRS). These are bus services that operate along fixed routes with with designated pick-up points and that operate to a fixed timetable. The RRS passenger numbers for 2024 stood at 155,074.
There are also semi-flexible bus services that provide door-to-door collection in rural townlands. Known as Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), these services operate to an approximate timetable. Local Link Tipperary carried 32,488 DRT passengers last year. Both the RRS and DRT buses are wheelchair-accessible.
Town bus services are also included in the Local Link offering, as are once-off bus services that community groups and organisations can use to attend events and social inclusion activities. Local Link has furthermore been providing transport to Ukrainian refugees living in rural parts of Tipperary; 8,287 Ukrainian passengers used the service in 2024.
EXPANDING NENAGH SERVICE
Briefing the January meeting of Tipperary Co Council, Anthony Moroney, General Manager of TFI Local Link Tipperary, said the Roscrea-Nenagh service would be expanded this year to include Silvermines. The exsiting service, number 854, currently offers six trips daily, seven days a week. It stops in Roscrea, Shinrone, Cloughjordan, Moneygalll, Toomevara and Nenagh.
Mr Moroney made the comment that bus stops should be located in the centre of towns on the route so that people with mobility issues can use them. Providing frequent services on a route will encourage greater passenger usage, he said.
Cllr John Fitzgerald desbribed Local Link Tipperary as “one of the greatest success stories of recent years in this county”. In agreement was Cllr John Carroll, who said the service is enhancing social interaction at a time when it has weakened and social isolation is a key concern for many people living in rural areas.
Cllr Phyll Bugler pointed out that communities living along Lough Derg are served by Bus Éireann's 323 route. But the addition of a Local Link would be of benefit, particularly if the community of Boher was included, she said. Cllr Fiona Bonfield said Local Link's 391 service is well-used and suggested that it too should be expanded. The route has six daily trips from Thurles to Ballycahill, Upperchurch, Kilcommon, Rearcross, Newport, the University of Limerick and Arthur's Quay in Limerick.