People entitled to free transport who are living in rural areas should be given taxi vouchers to counteract the decline in country areas, according to Irish Rural Link.
The group says the closure last year of over 400 rural pubs, as reported on Friday in The Irish Times, is an indication that towns and villages in the countryside are under threat.
The lobby group yesterday launched a rural manifesto for the elections later this year which calls for assistance for small businesses in rural areas and a faster roll-out of broadband.
Chief executive Séamus Boland said: "The closure of over 400 pubs last year in rural areas combined with ongoing closures of shops and post offices should be taken as indicators that there is great urgency for us as a country to achieve balanced regional development and sustainable rural development.
"People, and particularly younger people, are moving away from peripheral rural areas, because of difficulties in accessing employment and educational opportunities. Unfortunately, the knock-on effect of this for the remaining, and usually older population, is the decline of existing public and private services.
"Most people who live in rural areas who are entitled to free public transport, such as pensioners and people with disabilities, can't avail of the service as no public transport operates in the area.
"We believe that such people should have a limited monthly voucher which they can use in hackneys, taxis or private bus services".
