By Emma Hickey

An online petition for a bus link between Ashbourne, Ratoath, Dunshaughlin and the train services via the M3 Parkway has been launched by Cllr Gillian Toole.
The proposed bus link would service Ratoath, Ashbourne and Dunshaughlin, and would provide reliable public transport to both commuters and locals in the area travelling to and from Dublin.
“We don’t have any direct link to the M3 Parkway. I feel the buses are very bad [in Ratoath],” local Labour representative Eilish Balfe said. “It’s so badly needed.”
“Even before Covid the bus links into town or over to the M3 parkway station has been bad… people can’t get to where they are, where if there was a feeder bus from Ratoath up to the M3 Parkway… It might just relieve cars off the road as well,” she said.
According to the petition, which has nearly 800 signatures, a private company has shown an interest in providing the bus link to the train services, provided there is enough interest in it.
“We need to show viability of this so that a Private Company who have shown an interest can see it is a worthwhile undertaking and would be a huge benefit to commuters to and from Dublin,” Cllr. Toole said.