Government Preventing New Buses From Being Used

Press Release, 30th January 2007

Catherine Murphy, TD has today slammed the Minister for Transport for preventing Dublin Bus from using 15 brand new buses bought to service the towns of Kilcock, Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip, Adamstown, Lucan and Palmerstown.  “It’s disgraceful that Dublin Bus can’t even make minor timetable changes for these routes at the moment, let alone use the 15 extra buses bought specifically because of the growing demand for bus services in these towns.”

“The fact that permission from the Licensing Section of the Department of Transport is compulsory for providers to make even small timetable changes shows the type of micro-management obstructing bus providers and the failure of the PD/Fianna Fáil Government to consider the practicalities of knitting private and public transport providers together.  The Government’s method of introducing competition here just defies logic; they seem to be the only ones holding up the show.” Despite applying for and receiving funding from the Department for 100 new buses early last year, Dublin Bus cannot introduce the 15 new buses earmarked for the Kilcock, Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip, Adamstown and Lucan routes because they must wait until at least the end of February before the Department of Transport will consider timetable changes.  This is when the 4 month lead in time expires for a private operator allocated a license for the area in October 2006. 

“Dublin Bus ordered these buses before this private licence was issued so why stop them from being used?  Its right that the private operator is given enough time to recruit and train drivers, and to buy extra buses but why are those buses already available being left idle in the meantime.  If the situation were reversed I’m sure the private operator would want a less restrictive system.”  According to Murphy this problem will arise most frequently in new commuter towns where Dublin Bus do not have established routes and were more people, despite the best efforts of the Department of Transport, are trying to leave their cars at home.”

100 New Buses Launched, Minister Must Release Next 100 Immediately As Promised

“The coming on stream of 85 new Dublin Buses today and the extension of bus lanes on Arran and Ellis Quays are welcome improvements to our much strained public transport network, but I again urge the Minister for Transport to provide the next 100 buses demanded by the Dublin Bus Network Review published last March.”

“Until our bus network receives adequate and continuous investment for existing and emerging routes huge traffic delays, like those seen between the Ballymount and Blanchardstown exits of the M50 will continue to worsen.   If we don’t have enough buses, new routes can’t be put in place to link towns such as Blanchardstown and Tallaght, or even Leixlip and Celbridge; and if we can’t offer public transport for people travelling between towns as well as in and out of Dublin City cars will continue to be the only option for many.“

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Posted by catherinemurphy on January 30, 2007. Filed under Latest News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.