Bus stop signs in Mayo town had to removed 48 hours later
The bus stop sign at George's Street in Newport. Picture from: Cllr Brendan Mulroy
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has “thrown Mayo County Council under the bus”, claimed a local councillor.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Brendan Mulroy accused the NTA of hanging the council out to dry in the wake of a bus stop fiasco in Newport.
Cllr Mulroy said the NTA was trying to blame the council after bus stop signs were erected at a dangerous corner in the town. The stops had to be removed within 48 hours following local complaints.
Last Tuesday week, the stops were put in place on double yellow lines at the bottom of George’s Street.
Cllr Mulroy told the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council that he received an email from the NTA in which it claimed that the responsibility for the upgrade or relocation of bus stops lay with the local council.
“Mayo County Council did not erect the signs on George’s Street,” said Cllr Mulroy.
He demanded to know how much the debacle cost.
“They were up for 48 hours and if a bus stopped on George’s Street on the way up or down, people had to get on or off that bus, that created a safety hazard on double yellow lines. Is that the sort of management that is being carried out by the NTA?” asked Cllr Mulroy.
“At times we criticise Mayo County Council, but Mayo County Council had no hand, act or part in this. The NTA, through that email, are after throwing Mayo County Council under the bus if you excuse the pun,” he added.
Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn accused Mayo County Council, the NTA and Bus Éireann of all passing the buck on the issue.
"The problem is this is fudge again. Bus Éireann are saying the NTA, the NTA are saying the council, and the council don't know," said the Westport councillor.
The council's Director of Services Tom Gilligan told the meeting that he would make contact with the NTA and furnish councillors with a report on what happened.
“I will go back and find out what happened in this scenario. I don’t want to second guess or assume anything."
The NTA has since admitted that the bus stop signs were erected in error by a third-party contractor.
