A north Mayo town has been selected as a location for a new pilot scheme designed to provide more transport options in rural areas.

The Local Hackney Pilot Grant Scheme is a grant aided pilot programme that aims to assist in the provision of part-time local hackney services in designated rural areas which cannot support a full time taxi or hackney operation. Killala is one of 21 towns picked from across Ireland for inclusion in the pilot programme.

Grant aid is designed to contribute towards the fixed costs associated with providing this part-time service.

The successful applicant may be granted up to €6,000 which is payable over one year in equal monthly instalments where the service provider can show that the services are being used and that the Local Hackney is of benefit to the community. This is as a subsidy to any ordinary fares income earned.

The key element of this service is that it will benefit the community by providing licenced, insured, economic transport by Garda vetted drivers in local areas.

Applications to take part in the one-year pilot programme can be made at localhackney.ie. The final acceptance date for applications for the Pilot is the February 28.