Demand For The 212 Bus Service To Stop At Foreglen.

Translink advises that a 212 stop, or any other bus service other than the school bus service, at Foreglen would not be used!!!

Please sign this petition if you would use the 212 service if it stopped, or any other bus service if it stopped, at Foreglen bus stops at the top of Foreglen Village.

The 212 service from Derry/Londonderry to Belfast stops at every other village (Foyle street bus station, Duke street, Altnagelvin, Drumahoe, Claudy, Dungiven, Maghera, Castledawson, and Toomebridge) along the A6 except for Foreglen.

The residents of Foreglen has recently formed a residents and community development committee and the residents, community centre, and sports centre have voiced that there is currently no bus service for the residents of the Foreglen area to access other villages, hospitals or G.P. or social services alongside local services, and no service for other villages to avail of the community services that Foreglen offers.

The ageing population, and individuals who don't have access to a car, find that the lack of public transport service has exacerbated their social isolation, poor health outcomes and poverty. Due to the lack of public transport elderly residents and residents that do not have access to a car find it expensive to access health amenities like G.P. appointments, hospital visits, social services etc. Additionally older residents from Foreglen can not avail of their free bus pass.

There is currently three bus shelters at the top of the village along the main A6 road and there is regular buses travelling along the A6 (212 service) however none of these buses stops at Foreglen.

The current 212 service bus would not need to come off the main A6 road, but could pull into the layby, were there is currently 3 bus shelters located; this is similar to the provisions for Drumahoe, Claudy, etc. The bus shelters are located near the community centre which has a 60+ social club, mothers and toddler groups, and other community groups, however the lack of public transport is a major factor in the local and wider community accessing these vital services. We feel that the lack of provision of public transport by Translink is unacceptable and is a significant disadvantage to our community, and detrimental to the vitality of our village.

This could easily be resolved, and it would help alleviate the aforesaid deprivation, if some of the 212 buses that regularly pass could stop at numerous times throughout the day.

Once again, please sign this petition if you would use the 212 service if it stopped, or any other bus service if it stopped, at Foreglen bus stops at the top of Foreglen Village.