‘Awful standards on Go-Ahead Ireland bus routes in Dublin Mid-West must be addressed’

Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid-West Mark Ward, says he has called on Minister Eamon Ryan and the National Transport Authority to address the ‘atrocious standards’ being delivered on bus routes served by Go-Ahead Ireland.

Deputy Ward was speaking after Sinn Féin held a demonstration last Friday outside the Department of Transport to highlight Go-Ahead Ireland’s poor service

“Commuters in Dublin Mid-West are fed up to the teeth with the poor service being delivered by Go-Ahead Ireland,” he said.

“Particularly those in Clondalkin and Palmerstown who are served by the 76 and 18 bus routes operated by Go-Ahead

“Late buses, no shows, overcrowding and generally poor service standards has been raised constantly with me

“Information I received from the National Transport Authority stated that the 18 bus is running at just over 70 % in punctuality and reliability, while the 76 is at approx. 80%

“This is causing serious problems for people who rely on these buses and very little is being done by the Minister or the regulator to fix the ongoing issues.

“People are literally being left stranded on the side of the road. This type of service will drive people away from using public transport.

“The 76 is the main bus from Clondalkin to Tallaght Hospital and I have heard many times of people being left stranded at a bus stop.

“Go-Ahead Ireland are a number of years into their contract, so we simply don’t accept this is still teething problems.

“Sinn Féin warned the privatisation of our bus services would drive down standards, as profits would be prioritised over punctuality, reliability and customer service.

“Go-Ahead’s Irish subsidiary made a €2.6m profit last year, which is hard for commuters to stomach given the poor service they are experiencing on the ground.

“The privatisation of public transport in Britain has been an unmitigated disaster and we must avoid that template at all costs.

“If Minister Ryan wants more people to use public transport, he needs to ensure buses are on-time and reliable. He needs to get on top of these problems.

“The National Transport Authority needs to stop treating Go-Ahead Ireland with kid gloves and use their regulatory powers to ensure the service on these routes is improved.”