Castlepollard’s Local Area Hackney service has come to an end, with the operator citing unworkable vehicle-age restrictions imposed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) as the reason for closing the service.

Announcing the news, the operator thanked the community for its support since the service began: “I want to thank everyone who supported me over the last few years since I started up, I have met a lot of great people in the community in my time providing the service.”

However, the operator said continuing had become unfeasible under current NTA rules, which require part-time rural Hackney operators to meet the same vehicle-age standards as full-time taxi operators in large towns and cities. “It’s just not realistic,” they said, adding that they had spent the past year trying to get the NTA to reconsider the restrictions, without success.

Local councillors and TDs were also approached for assistance, but the operator said “it came to nothing.” Despite the setback, they pointed to a straightforward fix the NTA could have implemented at no cost: raising the vehicle age limit for Local Area Hackneys from 10 to 15 years — a limit already in place for WAV-registered taxis.

“The Government or the NTA have no ambition for public transport in rural Ireland, despite what they might say,” the operator said.

The closure leaves a gap in local transport provision for Castlepollard and the surrounding area, at a time when Castlepollard Local Development has been highlighting the town’s transport needs as part of its wider community projects. The organisation had previously welcomed Castlepollard’s selection for the Local Area Hackney pilot scheme in January 2023.