Áine O’Boyle
THE National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) has agreed to fully reinstate the troubled Number 27 Dublin Bus route which has been subject to ongoing anti-social activities.
Services on the cross-city 27, which runs from Clare Hall to Jobstown, have been curtailed on a number of previous occasions due to a series of incidents.
According to NBRU executive, Sean Yeates, drivers on the route regularly face anti-social issues such as being spat at, having bricks thrown at the buses and passengers fighting on board.
According to the union, of 48 incidents of anti-social behaviour recorded on their website, 15 occurred on the 27 bus route alone.
Dublin Bus were approached for comment on the matter but did not respond at time of going to press.
The NBRU had previously discussed the possibility of withdrawing the service completely out of fear for their drivers’ safety.
The issue came to a head recently when the NBRU planned to curtail the route in Tallaght on Saturday, February 8, as the country went to the polls on General Election Day.
In a strongly worded warning, the union said they were once again calling for a dedicated transport police as anti-social behaviour rises.
They said buses on route 27 would only operate as far as the Square Shopping Centre on that Saturday (February 8), adding that they would not rule out a permanent withdrawal from the area “if politicians and community reps don’t pull their weight”.
At a meeting of the Tallaght Forum on February 7, representatives from the union, local community, gardai and politicians were invited to engage with the issue.
General Secretary of the NBRU, Dermot O’Leary, said: “While it was disappointing that a large number of local representatives had not been fully engaging with the Forum over recent months, (Fianna Fail deputies) John Lahart and Charlie O’Connor have been to