Bus service for Portlaoise expected to be up and running in January

A NEW bus service for Portlaoise should be operational by the start of the New Year.

On foot of a request from cllr Catherine Fitzgerald for an update on the roll-out of the proposed bus service for the town, local councillors were informed at their recent MD meeting by acting director of services Paul McLoughlin that: “The National Roads Authority has provided updates on both the installation and contracts for the stop locations infrastructure and the appointment of the service operator to run the service.

“A contractor is due to be appointed in the coming weeks to deliver the stop locations. There’s an ongoing recruitment campaign for 25 drivers to run the service. Based on the update provided, it is expected that the service will be operational in January 2025.” “That’s a great response,” said cllr Fitzgerald.

“January 25 is only a few months away. People are really looking forward to getting this bus service. It’s great news for Portlaoise,” she said.

Also welcoming the news, cathaoirleach cllr Willie Aird said: “They (buses) don’t want to come up the Abbeyleix Road. Maybe we could get it (bus route) extended. I hope that’s because it’s not too narrow.”