Call to reorganise Navan bus service to help it survive

As fears grow for the future of Navan"s bus service, calls have been made on the company to reorganise the local service to make it more viable. Following reports late last year that Bus Eireann is to implement swingeing cuts, cancelling 40 services and reducing frequency on 170 more, there have been concerns in Navan over the future of the town"s bus service. A spokesperson for Bus Eireann said the company was reviewing all services in light of the unprecedented economic situation, but that no decision had been made on any service yet. Cllr Joe Reilly said the service was very important to Navan and needed reorganisation to ensure its future viability. 'The service doesn"t go into specific estates. On the Windtown road, for example, it goes as far as the swimming pool but does not go out as far as the housing estates. This means they are avoiding one of the areas in the town with the lowest car ownership,' he pointed out. Cllr Reilly said that the opening of the M3 will mean that the service can become more reliable as traffic congestion and hold-ups in the town would be relieved and buses would be able to stick to schedules, making the service more popular. David Browne, Fine Gael disability officer and local election candidate in Navan, has also spoken of his concerns regarding the future of the town bus service. 'This service is a great help to people for getting in and out of town, especially the disabled and elderly. Failure to provide this service would be detrimental to the lives of these people and could see them stranded. However, the future sustainability of the service needs to be questioned, as it is not generating an economically viable interest amongst passengers,' he said. Mr Browne called on Bus Eireann to consider all restructuring options before terminating the service and has offered his help in investigating these options, having previously been a member of the Meath Transport Project Committee. Mr Browne, who himself has cerebral palsy, said that, as a regular passenger on the town bus service, without it, he would find it a strain to remain mobile and would welcome Bus Eireann"s attention to this pressing concern.