A NEW bus depot for Dublin has been officially opened by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, in Ballymount.
Also at the opening of Go-Ahead Ireland's new bus depot was David Brown, CEO of The Go-Ahead Group (UK) and Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority. Both spoke of the strong collaboration between the two organisations as it prepares to take over the operation of 24 existing bus routes, or 10 per cent of the capital's network in early September.
Officially opening the new depot, Minister Ross said: “This is an exciting time for public transport and particularly for those of us who travel by bus. Recently, I launched my part of the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 – ‘Linking people and places’ – which will see investment of almost €25 billion in our transport, tourism and sport infrastructure over the next 10 years. A total of €8.6 billion of this investment is specifically for public transport.
“I am therefore delighted to welcome Go-Ahead into the Irish market and the creation of 425 local jobs and an €8.5 mil-ion investment in its operation.”
Also speaking at the opening was Ed Wills, Managing Director of Go-Ahead Ireland who added: “The opening of the Go-Ahead Ireland depot is a key milestone for our operations in Dublin. We are very excited to see our colleagues and the new fleet of buses located in this modern facility. We are creating new jobs, investing in new skills and with the interest we have already received we are confident that there is a lot of interest in our company.”