The chronic traffic problems that blight Tuam every rush hour could be eased by the simple provision of a bus service to take pupils to school.

That’s according to Cllr Donagh Killilea, who wants this bus service provided to local estates rather than having parents dropping off their children to school, as part of a proposed traffic management plan for the town.

That Tuam Traffic Management Plan is up for discussion in early 2023 and one of the proposals will be to provide a bus service that will bring children from their home to their primary schools in a safe manner.

According to Cllr Killilea (FF), it could take more than 100 cars off the road each morning and afternoon and free up an already congested town centre.

The traffic situation in Tuam will be discussed as part of an overall town plan in the New Year but the ongoing issue with regard tailbacks each morning and afternoon is one that local councillors are determined to address.

The fact that the layout of the town centre is so condensed means that there are logjams at these critical periods each day, during which some accesses come to a standstill, and now a solution is being sought.

“There have been suggestions that parents walk their children to school and while this might seem the right thing to do, it is not always feasible.

“There are parents who go to work once they have their children dropped off so it is not practicable for them to walk their children and then walk back home to collect their car and drive to their place of employment.

“It has been suggested to me that a bus service that would travel between the estates in Tuam that would bring primary school pupils to class might be an option to ease the traffic congestion,” said Cllr Killilea.

He said that he would be talking about children from first class upwards that could avail of such a service and was one that could be provided if the primary schools came together to organise it.

The Tuam area councillor believes that there is also an “engineering solution” required to the traffic chaos in the town and this could possibly result in the introduction of one-way systems and possible pedestrianisation of streets including Shop Street.