Eleven Galway locations have been included in the local authority’s latest bus stop enhancement programme.

Galway County Council has confirmed that it was progressing plans for bus shelters and flagpole installations in ten villages, and another at Joe O’Toole Road in Tuam.

The villages earmarked under this package of investment include Dunmore, Bearna, An Spidéal, Oranmore, Kiltartan Cross, Letterfrack, Oughterard, Lackagh, Caltra and Glenamaddy.

Chief Executive Liam Conneally said design of bus stops at these locations had been “substantially completed” but they may need approval from the National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

They are also subject to road safety audits, and therefore the locations may change when the work goes out to tender, he said.

Councillor Martin McNamara (SF) welcomed plans for bus shelters in Athenry’s Active Travel scheme even though it was not on a bus route – this was a case of build it and they will come, he said.

Councillor Martina Kinnane (FF) welcomed inclusion of a bus shelter in Oranmore village.

Councillor Tom Curran (RSF) said he had allocated funding in the past for bus shelters in An Spidéal and Bearna that were never delivered. He welcomed their inclusion in the latest plans to roll-out bus shelters across the county.

Meanwhile, the County Council has confirmed the schools that are earmarked for safety works under the Safe Routes to School scheme.

The first round included schools in Oranmore (Calasanctius College, Gaelscoild de hÍde and Scoil Iósaif Naofa) and Athenry (Scoil Chroí Naofa and Athenry Boys NS).

These will go forward to the planning stage this July. Works under this round one have been completed at St Paul’s in Oughterard.

Preliminary design works have started on the five schools included in Safe Routes to School in round two. These include: Scoil Sailerana Indreabhán, Scoil na bhForbacha, Ballindereen NS, Gort Community School and St Brendan’s NS in Loughrea.

The Council said it would engage in public consultation on these SRTS projects “in the coming weeks”.

Eleven more schools have been visited by An Taisce to identify the road safety issues at each location. Design for the unnamed Round Three schools will be published this autumn, the County Council said.

Pictured: Welcome…Councillor Martin McNamara.