BUS SHELTERS are urgently needed across West Cork to protect schoolchildren who are exposed to the elements in all kinds of weather, councillors claim.

Students can be left waiting for a bus for more than an hour in all kinds of weather, according to Bandon-based councillor and publican John Collins (Ind Ire).

He said he had no objection to students taking shelter from the rain under the canopy outside his bar, but he argued that a suitably-sized bus shelter is needed to serve the schools on the northern side of the town.

He was one of many public representatives who made a case for additional bus shelters in their areas when the Bus Stop Enhancement Programme was being discussed at a recent meeting of the Western Division.

‘Parents are asking me if there could be a bus shelter in this area because it is badly needed,’ said Cllr Collins. ‘The population of the town is rising, and people are also driving into Bandon to use the bus service so they need to be accommodated as well.’

Cllr Gillian Coughlan (FF) said: ‘There should be no bus stop without a bus shelter in this day and age.’ She also suggested that additional public lighting is needed in the area around the courthouse.

Senior council engineer, John Slattery, informed the members that 70 bus stops have been upgraded in Cork county.

He said the budget for 2025 was €500,000 and it was used to improve facilities for wheelchair users, those with mobility issues and the visually impaired.

He also pointed out that 26 schools across Cork county have benefitted from the Safe Routes to School programme that is being carried out by Cork County Council in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and An Taisce.

‘Bus shelters for Skibbereen and lights for the old mark car park,’ was the succinct demand made by Cllr Joe Carroll (FF), while Cllr Ann Bambury (SD) said it is unfair that people in Bandon are being ‘drenched to the skin’ for the want of a bus shelter in the town centre and at Old Chapel.

Cllr Daniel Sexton (Ind Ire) praised a presentation by the council’s acting engineer, Mark O’Sullivan, which showed that 1,000 regional and local road improvement works were successfully completed in 2025 with €82 million in departmental grants.

‘Anyone can see there are great improvements in the roads around West Cork, which given the traditionally small budget allocated by the government to Cork County Council is a great achievement,’ said Cllr Sexton.

But he said there isn’t a town or village in West Cork that isn’t in want of a bus stop.

‘The new ones are great, such as those in Ballineen and Enniskeane and Dunmanway, but Clonakilty only has one and it’s full most of the time, while Skibbereen and Rosscarbery definitely need proper bus shelters,’ he said.

Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) complained that the bus shelters in Glengarriff are ‘ridiculous’ because they are coming out too far, and he made the case to have a bus shelter built in Bantry town.

Cllr Isobel Towse (SD) called for a bus shelter and a pedestrian crossing for Rosscarbery.

‘So many places are asking for shelters, but there are only six on the list for next year,’ Cllr Towse pointed out before asking if it is possible to secure additional funding in 2026.