'More parking spaces needed' at Athlone bus and train station

Athlone councillors have said there's a need for more parking spaces to be developed for users of the town's bus station and train station.

Cllr John Dolan said he had been told that some people catching the train from Athlone to Dublin at 6.30am were arriving to find the car park already full at that stage.

At the May meeting of the Athlone Moate Municipal District, he said this issue had been brought home to him when he used public transport to get to a meeting in Portlaoise recently.

"Where are people going to park, if they're getting the train or bus, because they're showing up and finding that the car park is full," remarked the Fine Gael representative.

"It doesn't make sense to me that we're encouraging more people to use public transport but we're not providing them with any more parking.

"We don't all live in Athlone and can't all walk to the train or bus."

Cllr Dolan said it appeared that CIE's bus parking facility, across the road from the station, was not at full capacity and that this would be a "perfect location" for additional parking spaces for the public.

The motion was unanimously supported at the meeting, with Cllr Frankie Keena saying it was a matter he had raised with CIE and Bus Éireann last year.

"This is something that we should put in writing to them," stated Cllr Keena.

It was agreed that the Municipal District would send a letter to Irish Rail and Bus Éireann about "the lack of parking facilities at the station" for users of their services.