*Photograph: Joe Buckley
A NEW 24 hour bus to serve Shannon Airport is included in planned enhancements to the 343 bus service.
In partnership with Bus Éireann and TFI Local Link Limerick Clare, the NTA is proposing to improve public transport between Limerick, Shannon and Ennis, including the hinterlands of Sixmilebridge, Quin and Kilmurry.
Easier access to Shannon Airport is among the planned improvements which include a new 24-hour bus service operating between the International Airport, Shannon Town and Limerick.
Under the revised network bus services will operate at a higher frequency between Shannon and Limerick, with more departures to Ennis, Sixmilebridge, Kilmurry, Cratloe and Quin. It is proposed to split the network into four separate routes.
A revised route 343 will run every twenty minutes at peak times, Monday to Friday, and every thirty minutes at other times during the day and all-day at the weekend between Limerick and Shannon, including Shannon Airport. The service which will be operated by Bus Éireann will run 24-hours a day with buses every 60 minutes throughout the night.
There is a new route 330 which will serve Ennis and Shannon Airport via Clarecastle, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ballinooskny, Smithstown Industrial Estate, Shannon Town and Shannon Free Zone. The service will run every sixty minutes all-day with extra buses at peak times. It will be operated by Bus Éireann.
Running between Sixmilebridge and Shannon Airport is the new route 316. It will travel via
Smithstown Industrial Estate, Shannon Town and Shannon Free Zone. It will run every two hours daily, with extra buses at peak times Monday to Friday. It will be operated by Bus Éireann.
Jetland Shopping Centre in Limerick and Ennis wil be serviced by the new route 317 which will traverse through Cratloe, Sixmilebridge, Kimurry and Quin. It will run three times per day and will be operated by TFI Local Link Limerick Clare.
Public consultation on these plans commenced in the past week and will remain open for the next three weeks until its closer on Thursday May 9th at 4pm. Submissions can be made via – https://consult.nationaltransport.ie/en/consultation/route-343-amendment.