Enhanced local bus services in both rural and urban areas of Clare are being earmarked under the new Connecting Ireland plan.
The initiative will see extra routes in a bid to increase the number of people with access to at least three return trips daily.
The Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, which has been developed by the National Transport Authority, plans to increase the number of rural bus services by 25 per cent nationwide.
The NTA has recommended ‘enhanced interurban services’ from Ennis and Shannon Airport to Galway, Limerick and Cork.
Enhanced services from Sixmilebridge to both Limerick and Shannon, along with further trips from Scariff, Killaloe and Ballycannon to Limerick are being examined.
In rural areas of the county, the NTA is understood to be looking at enhancing current services between Lahinch and Kilkee, and the route that serves Kilrush, Killimer and Ennis.
Links from Ennis via Tulla, Feakle and Mountshannon to Portumna and Ballinsaloe are also set to come to fruition, as well as from Ennis via Quin, Kilkishen and Killaloe to Nenagh.
More than 100 villages across the country will benefit from the services and there will be 60 new connections to regional cities nationwide.
Public consultation for the full plan is now underway through the NTA’s website.
