Rural transport consultation must be matched with action - Alan Kelly

North Tipperary Labour TD, Deputy Alan Kelly, has called on people to engage with the National Transport Authority (NTA) consultation on Local Area Licences to enhance rural transport.

Deputy Kelly says the move must now be matched with “immediate action” to deliver real connectivity for rural communities. The deadline for submissions closes this Friday 28 November.

Deputy Kelly said: “Labour has long called for the rollout of Local Area Licences across the country to ensure that rural communities have access to reliable taxi and private hire services.

“There is market failure and it will continue unless there is state intervention. For too long, people living in rural Ireland have been cut off from safe and affordable transport options whether it is getting to work, medical appointments or social events. The consequences of neglect remain stark.

“Rural areas experience social isolation, missed work opportunities and unsafe return journeys. This consultation must now lead to action and not a paper exercise that disappears into the bottom drawer.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael’s failure to promote, resource and expand this scheme has once again let rural Ireland down. Communities across the country have been left without on demand taxi or Hackney services.

“We hear constant stories of people being unable to get a lift home after a night out or being forced to cancel appointments because there is simply no transport available. This lack of local taxis and hackneys has a direct impact on quality of life and on public safety. Rural Ireland needs solutions now and the Local Area Licence model offers a real and workable way forward if the political will exists to reinvigorate it.

“I have consistently raised this issue with both the Minister for Transport and the Director of the National Transport Authority. What is needed is urgency and ambition. The process of applying for these licences must be made accessible.

READ NEXT: Taste of Christmas Festival returns to Roscrea for 2025

“We are now facing another Christmas with no rural taxis. Everyone living in rural Ireland knows the difficulty of getting home safely in December. We know what it means for older people travelling to hospital appointments in winter.

“We know the anxiety that parents feel when their children cannot get a taxi home from a night out. I strongly urge people to engage in this consultation before the deadline this Friday 28 November. Make sure your voice is heard,” Deputy Kelly said.