Sir, – Further to Aileen Roantree’s comments on a dearth of public transport in the west and southwest of Ireland (Letters, October 13th), she may find some solace in the fact that a lack of practical public transport is not limited to those areas. Here in the northeast, should I wish to use public transport to travel the 5.9km from the nearest village after 9am, Transport for Ireland suggests a route involving a decent walk followed by three buses. Apparently I should walk for 29 minutes from Kilkerley, Co Louth, and board a bus destined for Cavan. I exit this bus in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, after 32 minutes and wait a further 34 minutes to join a bus bound for Dublin to take me as far as Ardee, Co Louth, where I wait an hour and 45 minutes for another bus, this time destined for Dundalk. All in all, a journey lasting four hours and 42 minutes.
If I felt inclined, had amenable weather, and ran the gauntlet of a busy footpath-free road, I could have walked to Dundalk in an hour and 10 minutes. By car, I could be there in eight minutes at that time of day. I’m afraid I shall have to continue with my private car for some while yet.
Perhaps Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan might consider such obstacles to public transport before he next admonishes us for using our private cars. – Yours, etc,
PAT MULLEN,
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Kilkerley,
Co Louth.