Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has welcomed a discussion about the future of public transport in Ireland at this year's first Rural Ideas Forum, which was organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development and is part of the delivery of the Our Rural Future Rural Development Policy, according to a statement published on Gov.ie.
Details
Attendees were told about plans that will transform rural transport, connectivity and accessibility, including Connecting Ireland, which will result in a 25% increase in rural bus services and ensure that 70% of rural Ireland residents will have access to a public transport system that provides at least three return trips to the closest larger town, according to the statement published on Gov.ie, which also noted that this means that 100 rural villages benefit from frequent and reliable public transport for the first time, and that Minister Ryan also spoke about the new "Pathfinder Projects" that he has asked local authorities throughout the country to identify, which are sustainable mobility projects and initiatives that can be delivered within the next two years, and that can make an immediate difference to how people move around rural Ireland towns and townlands.
Statement By Minister Ryan
The statement published on Gov.ie included a statement from Minister Ryan that said, "My department's Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, in tandem, with the Our Rural Future - Rural Development Policy, is strongly committed to improving public transport services in rural areas and to piloting new transport initiatives for people of all ages and abilities living there. Our vision for rural Ireland is ambitious, and one that is a key priority within the Programme for Government. As people start to return to work, school or college after the summer holidays, we are seeing an increasing demand for public transport. But, it's not enough that this demand is concentrated in our large towns and cities, we have to ensure that people in smaller towns or in townlands around those towns can also benefit from high quality, frequent public transport. That's the vision and that's the aim, and I am confident that we will, together, help reverse decades of neglect in this area and leave instead a legacy that will ensure that rural transport can continue to develop and expand."
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