About

About

TFI Local Link provides nationwide local public transport in rural areas were other services are limited. The services are low-cost, flexible, accessible and available for anyone wishing to travel to or from their local town, village or parish.

The aim of TFI Local Link is to address rural social exclusion and integrate local bus services with Bus Éireann and Iarnrod Éireann networks.

The two types of local bus services that TFI Local Link delivers are Door-to-Door and Regular Rural Services. Door to Door operate a pick up and drop off at your door bus service and Regular Rural Services operate a daily bus service on a fixed route and timetable. 

The local bus services are managed by 15 transport coordination units, or TCUs, throughout the country operating as TFI Local Link, on behalf of the National Transport Authority. Each office manages the day to day requests and delivery of local bus services in their area. These offices open from 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday and operate all year round except for Public Holidays.

For more information on the 15 TFI Local Link offices and to find out about local bus services operating in your area visit Your TFI Local Link.

Door-to-Door Services

Door to Door Routes are bus services that operate a pick up and drop off at the door services for people living in rural areas. These services are demand responsive, that is they require pre booking with your TFI Local Link office at least one hour before travelling so as to be collected at the door. Timetables are subject to change and may run daily, weekly or by-weekly. operate a pick up and drop off at the door service. 

Regular Rural Services 

Regular Rural Services operate a daily bus service on a fixed route and timetable with reduced timetables on weekends. These local bus services connect towns, villages and parishes and are flexible, low cost, accessible public transport services for anyone wishing to travel.The timetables are designed to ensure connectivity with Bus Éireann and Iarnrod Éireann networks to facilitate passengers who wish to make onward journeys whether for education, employment, health or recreational reasons.

Why are rural transport services so important?

TFI Local Link services are available to everyone with a significant focus on providing accessible transport options for passengers. Free Travel Passes are accepted on all TFI Local link services and cash fares are payable by anyone who doesn’t have a Free Travel Pass. The Door-to- Door services are a particular feature of TFI Local Link. A pick up and drop off at the door services for people living in rural areas services offers great peace of mind to passengers who might otherwise have no way to access public transport.

An additional feature of TFI Local Link, which is helpful for many customers, is the willingness of drivers or other staff to assist. Small gestures can make a real difference to a person living in an isolated area when they are making the decision to venture out into their community.

Being able to get out and about is a vital way to stay part of the local community and to access local amenities. Local bus travel is a lifeline for many people who do not drive and very often this isn’t an option for those who live rurally or have no local bus service available to them. For others, declining mobility may be preventing them from using public transport due to needing extra assistance.

The Rural Transport Programmes mission statement is “to provide a quality nationwide community based public transport system in rural Ireland which responds to Local needs,” says Margaret Malone, Rural Transport Programme Manager. “The key priorities of the Rural Transport Programme continue to include addressing rural social exclusion and the integration of rural transport services with other public transport services,” says Malone, “The NTA in conjunction with Local Link offices will continue to identify improvements in existing services and develop appropriate new routes based on the availability of resource. Greater integration with existing public transport services between towns/ villages will also continue to be a key focus of the Programme". 

 

“My husband passed away and my sister told me of the service, in a past lifetime I worked in Newcastle West and I always loved the shops there. I have connected with old friends in Newcastle West and Charleville and it has so changed my life”. 

Mary Sheehan from Dromcollogher uses Local Link Limerick.

 

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