THE COMMUNITY in Malin
Head is reeling following the axing of the Lough
Swilly bus service.
One resident told InishowenNews.com, they learned of
the decision when a passenger asked last week for an
autumn timetable only to be told, the route was
being discontinued.
Inishowen Councillor Pádraig MacLochlainn described
the move as a "serious blow" and said he would be
seeking an immediate meeting with the company to
examine options for maintaining the service to the
area.
"This news will be a serious blow to the morale of
this rural community. It was bad enough that the
area has hit wall after wall in promoting its status
as the most northerly point of Ireland to benefit
from an obvious tourist attraction but now this," he
said.
"Leaving aside tourism, a bus service is a vital
service for the elderly and families without cars,
to live a full life and have access to services that
may not be available in their own rural community.
"These public services should never be driven by
profit but must be there to ensure equality of
access for all citizens."
The Malin Head run is among a number of rural Swilly
routes under threat in recent years. While a
spokesperson was unavailable yesterday, the company
has previously stated that these routes have been
losing money for years.
But Cllr. MacLochlainn said he would not take the
decision "lying down".
"The community in Malin Head have worked their socks
off over the years and it is high time that the
powers that be, met them half way. I am now seeking
an immediate meeting with the Lough Swilly Bus
Company to examine options for maintaining the
service and I will be briefing my party colleague
Senator Pearse Doherty, in preparation for making a
strong case to the Minister for Transport, Noel
Dempsey, if need be," he added. |
