Dept of Transport Tourism and Sport to create a Cavan Monaghan Transport Co-Ordination Unit – Conlan

 Deputy Sean Conlan has welcomed the news that the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport is to create a Cavan Monaghan Unit as one of the eighteen new Transport Co-Ordination Units across the country as part of a major overhaul of the Rural Transport Programme.

All of the new units will be based where practicable in local authorities which will co-ordinate the running of the services and each local authority will have to prepare an annual plan which the units will have to work to. Counties Cavan and Monaghan will operate as one joint unit. The units will also be required to maintain databases of persons with specific transport needs and the units will assist in the co-ordination of voluntary efforts to address such needs. It is hoped that the units will be up and running in 2014.

Deputy Conlan said that “The aim of the units will be to enhance rural transport offered throughout the Cavan Monaghan area. Access to transport is a major issue for rural communities and any increase in transport services to these areas is to be welcomed. There was concern that the new proposals would result in the introduction of larger transport regions to the detriment of the local communities but I am delighted that Minister Kelly has taken these concerns into account and kept control of the size of the unit to the boundaries of counties Cavan and Monaghan.”

Deputy Conlan went on to say that ” Balti Bus and CART have provided a great service in Monaghan and Cavan. Hopefully the amalgamation of the 2 local companies and the 35 companies nationally into the 18 proposed units will create economies of scale and ultimately deliver a better service to those in need of it most.”